The Perfect Pureblood
by RiaBitar
Summary: "This girl never went to Hogwarts with us," he explained.Draco grabbed the picture and looked at it. A beautiful girl was on the picture.Draco smirked."Her name's Mariana Winston. She's seventeen years old but that's all it says...Draco?" "She's perfect."
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hello everyone! This is a new story…I may still be working on the other story but I hope you like this one! Please review and thanks! **

Chapter One

The world felt like it was stopping before his eyes. He could not hear anything his mother was saying anymore; it all seemed like a blur now. He ran a hand through his platinum blonde hair which suddenly was irritating him. He then realized that his black attire was producing sweat quickly. He hastily removed his black coat; when did he begin to hate it so much? His mother attempted to talk to him again but he shrugged her off angrily.

"Why did you do this, mother? I'm old enough to make my own decisions and certainly this one is mine to choose," he explained turning around to face her. She was becoming old and frail but her blue eyes were always cold and stony.

"Draco, I didn't decide this. It was your father who suggested. I didn't have a choice but to listen," she answered. Draco Malfoy sighed in exasperation and sat down on his bed. _You always do what he says. _He felt like his insides were going to burst. Narcissa sat beside him hesitantly. "An arranged marriage is not so bad. You have known this girl all your life at Hogwarts. She's beautiful and…"

"Mother, you're describing Astoria Greengrass! How could she be the perfect woman for me?" he complained angrily.

"She's a pureblood. If you find any pureblood better, you tell me," Narcissa replied. Draco looked at her. She looked sympathetic but he was sure it was the instinct to get him to accept Astoria. He stood up and began pacing.

"You have to help me, mother. Please, just for once, do something against _his _decision because I don't want to spend the rest of my life with some daft, senseless woman," he pleaded. She sighed and nodded, meaning she would try her best. He was a Slytherin; of course he was a coward. He could not face his father just yet. He watched as his mother exited the room. Draco grabbed his wand and Disapparated.

He found himself in Diagon alley. He quickly made his way through the crowd, pushing past people until he made it to his destination – the leaky cauldron. He opened the creaky door and scanned the crowd until he found him. He looked down at his clothes; he looked like a downright mess. He headed towards his friend at the bar and dropped himself on the stool beside him.

"Blaise, I've got my hand this deep in dragon's shit," Draco showed Blaise the depth. Blaise sighed and turned to him.

"Is it your arranged marriage with Astoria?"

"How did you know?"

"Mate, you're a Malfoy. It's not bound to be a secret for this long." Draco groaned and slapped his forehead hard. "Whoa, calm down. Didn't you tell your mother?"

"I did. She will try and help me; at least that's what she says."

"Don't worry, mate. I'm going to help you. And I found a solution. We look for another pureblood," Blaise explained triumphantly and drank down his butterbeer. Draco turned to the bartender and ordered one. "I know, you're wondering, aren't you? Where the bloody hell is there another pureblood in our sophisticated society? Well, we just have to see for ourselves, shouldn't we?" Draco's face brightened up. Blaise was not sure if it was because of his plan or because of the arrival of his butterbeer. He confirmed that it was because of his plan when Draco smirked.

"You might have something there, Zabini. We just have to go look in the records, which means we need courage, which makes us _bloody Gryffindors_!" Blaise shook his head.

"Being sneaky is very Slytherin, Draco," Blaise protested.

"I don't get it. Why did they arrange this and tell me now, when I'm still eighteen? Am I going to marry this early?"

"No, it's just to inform you and give you a vivid glimpse of your future. In my opinion, I think being with Astoria for the rest of your life is going to be a horrid, horrid future," Blaise said. Draco glared at him and Blaise immediately backed down. "No offence, mate, but still, don't worry, I will help you."

"Why are you so keen on helping me, Blaise?"

"Well, because I don't really want to buy wedding gifts for you two," he said. Draco shook his head.

"Even if I get a new pureblood to marry, you still have to buy a wedding present," Draco smirked. Blaise shrugged and finished his butterbeer. "Well, when should we check the records?"

"They're at the ministry. Do you think Potter can help?" Blaise asked. "He's training to be an auror so he's probably at the ministry most of the time."

"When were we ever nice to Potter?" Draco frowned.

"It's a start."

"No bloody way I'm going to that _war hero _and asking him a favour. There's no way." Draco complained.

After half an hour, Draco and Blaise found themselves at the heart of the ministry as Harry was making his way towards them. He looked older; his hair was not as messy as before and he looked tough. Maybe it was because of his auror training. Draco felt aimless all of a sudden.

"You wanted to see me?" Harry asked. His tone of voice was not so friendly but it was not unwelcoming either.

"Potter, we just need a little favour from you," Blaise explained. Harry raised his eyebrows. "We need the records of all the purebloods ever born," Okay, he was exaggerating a bit but he was excited. Draco groaned.

"Let me guess, Malfoy does not like his soon-to-be fiancée," Harry chuckled. Blaise seemed to chuckle as well. "I see. Well if I help you, what's in it for me? When have you ever done anything nice for me, considering the fact that I saved your arse, Malfoy during the war?" _Always the one to remind me about that, _Draco thought. He was in a bad mood but he was honestly grateful even though he was not showing it. Draco shrugged.

"What do you want?" he asked. Harry thought for a moment. "Honestly, Potter, I don't have all day. And neither do you." Harry sighed and leaned forward, punching Draco on the cheek. Draco did not show how strong the blow was but his cheek was becoming redder and obviously visible due to his pale complexion.

"That was for all the years of being tormented but you saved my life. You and your mother did," he explained. Draco felt proud inside. Coming from Harry Potter made him feel like he did something useful in the war. However, he did not smile. Blaise watched the exchange.

"Good choice, Potter. If I had the chance to punch Draco in the face, I would've…" Blaise's voice trailed off.

"Blaise, nobody asked you. At least Potter didn't ask for something so big. Just give me the records," Draco muttered.

Harry nodded. "You've changed during the war even though you're not showing it, Malfoy," that was all Harry said as he left to get the records.

"Well, problem solved."

"Not quite," Draco said. Harry came back a few minutes later, clutching a file. He handed it to Draco. He felt hopeful as the file touched his hand. "Thanks Potter," Blaise had already flooed out of the ministry. Harry nodded. "Look, I am grateful for what you did. And you're right, I don't show it," he explained.

"I'm glad you've come to your senses, Malfoy. Good luck in the pureblood thing," Harry extended his hand. Draco took it and they shook hands. "See you around," Harry muttered and left. Draco held the file in both hands and headed out of the ministry. Blaise was waiting for him impatiently.

"Let's go! We have bride searching to do," Blaise said as they Disapparated to the Malfoy Manor. Draco's parents were currently absent. They headed to Draco's room and opened the file on the bed. Blaise began searching as Draco paced the bedroom. "Well, so far, all these purebloods are getting married to someone else or they're already married."

Draco paused and looked in the file as well. There were pictures of the purebloods from Hogwarts like Pansy, Astoria and Daphne… so far, he hated all of them. Draco was giving up. He closed the file angrily and fell back on his bed. "What do I do now, Blaise?" Draco asked.

"Hold on, Draco," Blaise said suspiciously. Draco sat up and saw Blaise looking at a picture that fell out from the file. "This girl never went to Hogwarts with us," he explained. Draco grabbed the picture and looked at it. A beautiful girl was on the picture, black hair cascading down her back with brown eyes. Draco smirked as Blaise opened the file and searched for her page. "Her name's Mariana Winston. She's seventeen but this is all it says," Blaise was confused. He turned to Draco who was still looking at the picture. "Draco?"

"She's perfect."

"Except, we don't know where she is or what school she went to or…" his voice trailed off. Draco got out of bed.

"I need to tell my mother," he said, heading out of the room. Blaise followed him. "She looks much better than Astoria," this guy was in a trance. Blaise shook his head as they went to the living room. Narcissa was sitting on the sofa. "Mother, you're back," Draco sped down the stairs. Narcissa looked so calm.

"Yes, I was about to go and look for…" her voice trailed off as she spotted the picture Draco was holding. "Where did you get that, Draco?"

"I went to the ministry for the pureblood file. I think I found someone better than Astoria," he handed her the picture. Narcissa stared longingly at Mariana's picture. "I've made my decision. I want her."

Narcissa shook her head. "Draco, there's something I need to tell you about Ms. Winston," she beckoned him to sit down. Blaise came down as well, curious more than ever. Draco furrowed his brow, waiting. Narcissa sighed. "Mariana Winston lives in America."

"She's an American witch?" Draco asked confused.

"No, she lives in America. She's an English witch. Her parents were here in London. Her mother was a dear friend of mine…" she seemed to tear up a bit. "Her parents were at St. Mungo's for a few years but sadly, they died. And before her mother died, she made me take Mariana to a muggle family in America. She was so deranged but I had to do it. She did not want her daughter in England because she was so scared for her. She did not want her to suffer the same fate, you see."

"I don't understand."

"Voldemort wanted the Winston's to become death eaters but they refused, causing his followers to cast the Cruciatus curse on them. That was long ago, when Mariana was a baby…" she was about to crack up again. "Voldemort, being so cruel, left them to suffer. A few years later, when Mariana was thirteen, Voldemort found them again after your fourth year when he came back and asked them again to join. They still refused, being more courageous than ever. They went crazy after that punishment…"

"What was the punishment?" Draco asked. A tear rolled down Narcissa's cheek. "Mother, what was the punishment?"

"They gave Mariana the mark," she said, as calm as she could. There was a pregnant pause. _She has the mark?_

"Why didn't she go to Hogwarts? I'm confused." Blaise rubbed his temples.

"She was late," Narcissa muttered. Draco and Blaise exchanged more confused glances. "She did not get her powers early. She was supposed to get them as usual but she didn't. She got them when she was thirteen during the summer of the punishment." Draco's eyes widened. "Her mother in the hospital made me Obliviate the poor girl. She forgot everything," Narcissa was crying now. Draco came up to comfort her. "She does not know anything because of me!"

"No, mother, you had to do it for a dying friend. It wasn't your fault," Draco tried his best to comfort her. "That is why we have to bring her back now. It's safe. Voldemort is gone," Draco explained. Narcissa nodded, unable to speak. "Mother, I'm still on my decision. I will bring her back from America and we let her remember everything," Draco said.

"_We _will bring her back from America," Blaise stood up. "Don't worry, we will. You shouldn't regret anything you did." Narcissa smiled behind all the shedding tears. Draco took Mariana's picture and looked at it closely. It wasn't a moving picture. He looked closely to see her brown eyes the same exact replica of Draco's, the type that was emotionless, hiding all emotions. But he could make out a hint of depression in them. He felt really bad for this girl.

"I should have told you two earlier. You could have been closer. She was the perfect one for you. You knew her when you were a baby but I'm sure you don't remember a thing," she was sniffing. It was very unusual to see his mother in that state. "You liked each other so much but Voldemort came into the picture. You would've been good friends," she looked so weak. Draco felt bad for everyone. He closed his eyes and tried to remember his past but nothing came into his mind. "Her parents died when I Obliviated her. I had to Obliviate your mind as well because you knew her during your first year until Voldemort came back," she was blabbering so fast. Draco's eyes widened as Narcissa accioed a memory potion. He drank it down. "When you wake up, you'll remember everything."

Draco went back to his room with the picture. He stayed up all night as well, staring at the picture. She was in the same exact situation as him. She had the dark mark as well. He made a decision. _This girl is going to make me redeem my image. It is going to show everyone that I've changed and did a good deed. _He smiled to himself as sleep began to take over him. He placed the picture on his nightstand and fell asleep instantly.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Her sneakers padded across the tiled floor as she sped up the stairs of the building. She was searching her bag for something and at the same time trying to reach her destination – homeroom. _On my first day too, _she thought angrily. The bags under her eyes gave everyone the hint that she was having trouble sleeping. She got in another fight at the bus station and ended up slightly bruising her cheek which began turning purple. Groaning, she placed her hoodie over her head and entered the classroom.

"Ms. Jefferson, late as usual," her math teacher, Mr. Dane commented. She nodded and went to take her seat. "On your first day of 12th grade too. You're not in middle school anymore, Jefferson; get a grip." Maria Jefferson nodded again hoping he would take the hint that she did not give a damn. Her classmates started giving her the usual looks. _Freak_, they would say.

She took out her notebook and began solving the problem. Mr. Dane, being nosy as usual, came up to her and slammed his hands on her desk. "What the…!" she exclaimed.

"Might I ask why you're wearing a hoodie in my classroom?" he asked harshly. _Even the teachers treat me differently. _"And did you finally go and get that demonic tattoo removed?" he added. Maria froze. The class was listening attentively; she was sure of it. She did not answer and continued her work. Suddenly, her hoodie was pulled back and her face was revealed to the entire class. The purple bruise became more visible and her cheek was swelling up. "What the hell happened?" he screeched. The students began whispering to each other. "Quiet everyone, Jefferson, go get that bruise treated at the nurse's office," he added. Maria immediately stood up, gathering her things and leaving as fast as she could from the humiliation.

She pulled her hoodie over her head once more as she walked down the empty hallways to the nurse's office. She did not look where she was going and knocked a guy on his shoulder. "Sorry!" she exclaimed as she passed, no mood for conversation. This day was so horrible.

Maria soon found herself being treated by the nurse. The nurse was the only kind one to her in the whole school. Mrs. Brown dabbed the bruise lightly and looked at the glassy expression in Maria's brown eyes.

"What happened this time?" she asked gently. Maria sighed but her face showed no change in expression whatsoever.

"Those seniors ganged up on me at the bus station," she muttered. "I couldn't be a chicken, Mrs. Brown! I had to fight back!" she exclaimed furiously.

"And look what happened to you," she sighed. "Well, life's full of problems, dear. What about that tattoo? Did your aunt and uncle try to…?"

"No, it wouldn't remove. I don't know why," Maria pulled up her sleeve to look at the tattoo on the inner part of her left forearm. It looked so creepy. "It's behaving like a scar," she mumbled. "And it used to be black before. Now it's faint and not so black anymore. It used to burn. You remember."Mrs. Brown sighed.

"Alright, it's recess. Just go get a snack and head to class. Don't get into any fights. Forget about the scar a bit," she advised. Maria smiled and thanked Mrs. Brown before leaving her office. She pulled her sleeve back down and headed to her building.

_The sun was shining brightly in the sky. The school building was as dull as usual, even under the brightest of days. It was English class, in 11__th__ grade. Maria walked into the classroom, feeling so messed up. She barely got any sleep and her temper was getting on everyone's nerves. Even her dear aunt and uncle had to suffer her wrath every morning. _

_She sat in her English class, dark circles under her eyes. She wanted to sleep but no one could see just how exhausted she was. Her nightmare-filled nights kept her awake. She was having vivid dreams about a snake-like man and pain. She would wake up, beads of sweat on her forehead, pillow drenched with tears and her blanket floating in midair. Maria thought it was a ghost at first, holding up her blanket in the air like that but later she realized that it was her own doing. She was making the blanket float. _

_Mrs. Pike, the English teacher began teaching. It was 9 o'clock in the morning when Maria felt a small tingling sensation on her forearm. She shrugged it off as one of those normal numbness feelings. But the tingling sensation did not stop. Instead it increased to a burn that shot through her veins at full speed. Maria gasped and looked around the class but no one was paying so much attention to her. She slowly pulled up her sleeve; the tattoo was jet black and she felt like she was burning inside. She stood up to leave when the burning increased again and caused her to fall on the floor, shaking…_

Rhea Sunders stood waiting for Maria outside the classroom. "I heard you got purple again," she said without much of a greeting. Maria grunted in response and folded her arms across her chest. Rhea pulled back her auburn hair and tied it into a bun. She studied Maria's immobile figure through her glasses. "You need to sleep."

"As always," Maria muttered. "Nothing's changed this summer," she added. People still treated her in the same way, a freak. She still had one friend. She still was single and she still was having some weird abilities. "I want to quit school."

"I doubt that's going to happen. Hey, freak, how was your summer?" Jake Masterson, the head of the football team, asked. He stood beside Rhea, his black hair sweaty, green eyes ogling Rhea. Maria rolled her eyes.

"You're full of shit, you know that, Masterson?" Maria asked. Jake grinned like the fool he was. Maria did not flinch as he approached her and stood right in front of her, his breath almost tickling her.

"Jefferson, when are you going to learn? You will never fit in here," he said.

"No good comeback. I see," she commented, shoving past him and entering the classroom.

"Hey, I'm not done talking to you," Jake protested, following her to the classroom. He grabbed her arm and twirled her around to face him. They both did not notice the two students sitting in the classroom.

"What do you want from me? Leave me alone!" she snapped, yanking her hand away. She rubbed the spot where he gripped her hard and continued walking to her seat. Jake leaned on her table as she sat down, a nonchalant look on his too annoying face.

"Keep this in mind, Jefferson. You will always be the freak of the school. You and your silly witchcraft voodoo or whatever they call it," he explained in a low tone. Maria heard a chair shifting slightly across the floor. Before she realized what she was doing, she spat on Jake's face.

"There's my magic. Now, try and shove it up your ass if you can," she answered. He looked angry but he did not hit her. Jake turned around and left the classroom. Maria smirked under her hoodie and leaned back on her chair.

"That was quite a show," she heard from the other side of the classroom. The person's accent was British.

Maria turned to her left to see two guys sitting together, looking confused. "Urm, I guess," she muttered uncertainly. One of them chuckled slightly. The other rolled his eyes. "If you're here to also make fun of me, I'm not in the mood right now, so take a number," she explained.

"We're new. We're not here to make fun of people," one said. "I'm Blaise. This is my mate, Draco," Blaise was dark in complexion. His eyes were dark brown and his voice was husky. Maria did not reply. She thought it was safer not to. _Maybe they're playing a trick on me. _However, when she turned to Draco, she was suddenly dazed. He had the most beautiful grey eyes she had ever seen. They showed no expression though, just a hint of fear. She could read them because they were the same as how she would look at herself in the mirror and stare into her expressionless eyes. They were almost the same. Draco stared at her with the same interest. She blinked and looked away.

"Maybe it is better I don't say my name. You'll find out at the end of the day. People will be calling someone a freak. That's me," she muttered and turned to face the front of the classroom. _Why is it so hot in here? _She breathed out.

"Why do you wear your hoodie like that?" Draco asked. Maria turned to them again.

"Because I want to," she replied. Draco smirked and turned to face the class. _Why did he smirk? Did I do something? _She pressed her lips into a thin line and turned as well. Students began filing into the classroom. The biology teacher, Mr. Reynolds, was entering too. His hands were piled with books.

"Hello class, take your seats," he cast a glare in Maria's direction. "Ah, Ms. Jefferson, I see you haven't changed this summer," he explained. Maria leaned back on her chair in a relaxed manner.

"Good to see you too, sir," she said the 'sir' as if it was something vile in her mouth. He hid back a snort.

"Remove your hoodie," he instructed.

"No sir, she got blown in the face again!" Thomas Smith exclaimed. Maria turned to look at him when she caught Draco's eye. He was staring intently at her. She felt slightly uncomfortable. _I never felt like this before. _Why did she feel like this all of a sudden and with a newcomer?

"You got blown in the face? Interesting way to start your new year," Mr. Reynolds muttered. "We have two new students."

Maria knew who he was talking about. She kept her face turned away from them when they introduced themselves. There was something about them that frightened her especially Draco. It was as if she knew him from somewhere. But she did not know where.

The class was like always. Mr. Reynolds gave really snide remarks at times. At the end of the lesson, Maria sped out of the class, eager to end the day and go home. Rhea was standing outside. She had a bright smile on her face. "You'll never guess! There are two new students and they're freaking hot!" she exclaimed but did not notice 'the two new students' coming out of the class. She blushed crimson as they passed. Maria chuckled.

"They're English, Rhea."

"I know, the accent is just a bonus," she was so giddy. Maria shook her head as they headed for lunch.

Draco and Blaise were sitting at their own table in the cafeteria. Maria sat with Rhea and watched them with fascination. They were sitting with disgusted looks on their faces, _repulsed, _as a matter-of-fact. They did not get any food. They just sat there, barely acknowledging anyone who wanted to interact with them. _Then what are they doing here? _Rhea caught Maria staring.

"Okay, don't stare so much. They might notice."

"I'm just curious, that's all," Maria absentmindedly played with her food. Perhaps she was not the only outcast anymore. She smiled to herself but did not realize her plate was floating in midair.

"Maria," Rhea muttered. She turned to Rhea. "Maria, concentrate. Your plate is _floating_!" She gasped and the plate fell back on the table with a loud clang. _The whole lunchroom must have heard that. _Draco and Blaise were staring at her. But they were not mocking her. It was like they clearly understood. She could not be sure. "What's wrong with you? I thought you learnt how to control that _magic _of yours," Rhea whispered as the students erupted into murmurs. Maria shrugged.

"Lost train of thought, I guess," she muttered. She adjusted the hoodie over her head and began eating her untouched food. Rhea sighed and attended to hers.

Lunch finished fast and the next subject on the timetable was chemistry. Rhea and Maria headed to the lab hastily.

"Honestly, Jefferson, your partner is not that bad," Rhea said uncertainly.

"He's not! He stopped chemistry because of being paired up with me, Rhea. Look, I'm going to do this experiment alone," Maria replied and headed to her bench. She stared at the beakers lined up and ready to use. She could not do this alone right now. _Stupid life, _she thought furiously. After wearing her lab coat, she opened her notebook and began writing the instructions when she heard someone sitting beside her, a book dropping lightly on the table. Maria slowly looked up to meet the mesmerizing grey eyes she was desperately trying to stop seeing.

"Hi, I'm your new chemistry partner," he muttered uncertainly. _Stupid English accent_, she thought. Maria nodded, hiding her burning face inside her hoodie. He chuckled.

"Okay, what's so funny, Malfoy?" she asked, frustrated.

"I'm just fascinated by you, _Jefferson_," he stated, a smirk forming on his lips. "I find you amusing."

"First person to say that," she mumbled. "Alright, let's start the experiment." Immediately, his smirk disappeared and was replaced with a frown. "What's wrong? Are you afraid of chemicals?" She handed him an extra lab coat. He held it slightly but she could see the effort he was putting to not look disgusted by it.

"What's an experiment?" he asked. Her eyes widened in disbelief. "And what are chemicals?" She did not want to laugh. He reminded her of her first day in America when she had no idea what a pen was or what mathematics was. It was completely humiliating so she chose to not spread anything. She was not heartless. So, she decided to play along.

"Well, the teacher has given us some solutions and he has written the question on the board, telling us what to do. This," she handed him a beaker filled with some hydrochloric acid, "Is hydrochloric acid. We have to add it to the other solution which is sodium hydroxide to make a neutralization reaction." Draco had a thoughtful expression on his face. "This is just the basics, by the way."

"Wow, then I'm bloody doomed. But it's alright; this seems a bit like potions." Maria looked at him, eyes wide again. _Did he just say potions? _A spark of recognition ignited within her and she found herself replying.

"Yes, exactly like potions."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

_A week earlier…_

Tears formed in his eyes. Were they tears of joy that he finally remembered a close friend or tears of sadness for losing her? Draco grabbed her picture from the nightstand and stared at it again. He now knew the face, the eyes and even the voice now. It had all come back to him overnight.

_First year…_

_Draco walked with his mum in Diagon alley, buying his necessities for his first year at Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry. It was during the summer; the sun was blazing hot and Draco could feel his hand sweat in the tight hold of Narcissa's. He was on his way to Ollivander's to buy his very own wand. He smiled up at his mother; at least she had the decency to care about him unlike his father who only wanted to maintain the family bloodline. But he knew his mother deeply and truly cared about him or else she would not be holding his hand and strolling around Diagon alley with him. _

_His mother walked gracefully, pulling Draco gently along and finally reaching the old wand shop. It was not as sanitary as she would expect for herself but Ollivander knew just how to find the wand and he had been working for years. She opened the door slightly and took Draco to the counter. _

"_Draco, Ollivander will help you find a wand. I'll be looking around the shop," Narcissa explained. Draco nodded and turned to wait. He snuck a peak at his mother and she was suddenly talking to a woman and her daughter. He had no idea how they got there or when but he did not want to move from his current position at the counter so as to not disobey his mother. He rather stood there, watching the conversation take place. Then, he realized they were coming towards him. He braced himself and turned to face the counter once more. 'Where is Ollivander?' he thought. _

_He felt a tap on his shoulder. "Draco, dear, this is Barbara Winston and her daughter, Mariana," Narcissa said. Draco smiled and greeted the older woman. "Barbara is a dear friend of mine. We've been friends for a long while. Draco, you and Mariana used to play when you were little. I doubt that you remember," Narcissa chuckled. Barbara joined in. They looked like old friends. Draco grinned and turned to the daughter. She looked timid but she was bloody good at hiding it. _

_Draco, however, could see right through her because he made same expressions to hide his true feelings. "Hi, I'm Draco," he said. Mariana looked at him, her brown eyes filled with interest. _

"_I'm Mariana," she smiled. "I'm sorry about the embarrassment. I made my mum promise not to talk about the good old days when we were babies." Draco chuckled. 'This girl is funny,' he thought. _

"_Well, frankly, I had no idea we were friends at that time so don't apologize. It's nice to find a memory I never heard about," he said. Mariana smiled and leaned on the counter. "So, are you buying a wand?" _

"_Not yet, I'm still 10 years old. Your mum said you were buying one," she explained. "You're starting at Hogwarts?" She was trying hard to change the subject. Draco could read everything she did. _

"_Yes, I'm waiting for Ollivander. So, I guess you'll start at Hogwarts next year?" Draco asked. She shrugged. _

"_Well, I don't know. I'll just have to wait," She said. Draco nodded and chose to ask her later why she seemed so unsure. "It was nice to officially meet you, Draco," she smiled. He smiled back at her and extended his hand. _

"_It was nice meeting you too, I'll see you around," he realized her mother was leaving. She waved at him and followed Mrs. Winston out of the shop. _

_Second year…_

_Draco sat uncomfortably in the dining room. He desperately wanted to leave; his father was making him feel uneasy. He sighed in relief as his mother cleared her throat, breaking the awkward silence. Draco turned to look at her. _

"_Draco, we'll be having visitors tonight."_

"_Who's coming?" _

"_Do you remember Mariana?" Draco nodded. "Well, she's coming for dinner," Narcissa smiled. Draco grinned. He had not seen Mariana since the last summer holidays. She went to Italy over the Christmas holidays so this was his chance to see her again and tell her about Hogwarts. He found himself running his hand through his hair; it was messy. _

_Draco looked at himself in the mirror. "I don't look bad at all," he smirked to himself. It was seven o'clock; the guests should be arriving any time soon. He did not want his mother to fix up his hair this time. He headed out of his room and descended the stairs to hear voices. He looked down at his attire one last time then the voices stopped. As he looked up, his mother was smiling at him. And beside her stood Barbara and…'Wow,' he thought. Mariana looked divine, elegant…beautiful. Draco felt his heart thumping faster as he reached the bottom of the staircase. _

"_Draco," Narcissa smiled. He wanted to say something, anything at all but he could not. His voice was caught in his throat. _

"_Hello, Draco, it's so nice to see you again," Barbara said, finally leaving her daughter's side. Draco met the young girl's gaze; she was smiling. "Well, Cissy, why don't we give these two some privacy," Barbara nudged Narcissa lightly. They both grinned and walked away. Draco was still at the last step. _

_He cleared his throat. "Hi, Mariana, you've changed over the year." 'She seriously has,' he thought. _

_She smiled and looked down. "Not really," she answered. Draco smirked. "I heard you got into Slytherin." He nodded proudly. _

"_It's quite a place. Hogwarts, I mean," he said, his confidence finally boosting up as he approached her. "You just wait when you come after the summer," he added. Her smile faltered. "You are coming, right?" _

"_I don't know, I just…don't think so," she explained quickly. "I'm going to see my mum," she turned around to leave. Draco knew she was hiding something now; he had confirmed his suspicions from the year before. He slowly reached out and grabbed her hand. _

"_I know you're hiding something. Tell me, you can trust me," Draco said. She looked at his hand on hers; her cheeks were turning a bit red. _

"_You won't tell anyone?" she asked, looking up at him. Draco nodded. "It's humiliating actually," she added. _

"_Come on," he said, tugging at her hand. He was leading her upstairs. "Let me show you my room and you can tell me there," they walked up the stairs together. They reached the top of the stairs and walked to Draco's room. "I don't think our parents will notice we're gone." He opened the door to his room. _

"_Wow, nice room," she said, looking around. Draco smirked. His smirk faded when she found a tiny green dragon on his bed. "I have one just like this!" she exclaimed. Draco sighed in relief. 'I thought she was going to laugh at me,' he thought. "The only difference is that mine is silver," she smiled. He sat on his bed as Mariana observed the tiny dragon. _

"_Maria, tell me," he said. She looked longingly at the dragon and placed it back on the bed. _

"_It's just…I'm having some sort of delay," she muttered. _

"_You didn't get your letter?" _

"_No, not that, I…" she sighed and sat on the bed. "I don't have my powers yet." Draco took a full minute to process the short sentence in his head. It was short but a very big deal. "It's not my fault. I don't know what to do." _

"_Don't worry. You will get your powers, Maria, I'm sure of it. But for now, you just have to wait." _

"_I know that. Well, can we change the subject? How's Hogwarts?" she asked. Draco grinned and began explaining everything to her without missing a single detail. _

Draco smiled at the memory. That was the first time he started having feelings for her, feelings he was not supposed to have. Imagining talking to her again made him feel so warm inside. He could not wait to see her now.

_Christmas holidays…_

_As soon as Draco dropped his trunk on his bed, his mother barged into the room. Narcissa looked like she was ready to go somewhere. Her white blonde hair was tied in a bun as she smiled at Draco. _

"_I'm so glad you're home," she embraced him in a hug. "Now, get freshened up. We're going to the Winston's," Draco smirked. 'Nice way to start a holiday,' he thought. She left his room as he went to fix himself up. A few minutes later, he was standing in front of the fireplace, ready to floo himself to Mariana's house. His father went first then his mother. He took a deep breath and grabbed some floo powder. _

_Draco landed in a living room. He looked around to see his parents with Barbara and Andrew Winston. _

"_Ah, the young Malfoy. So glad you could join us," Barbara smiled. Draco greeted them politely and ran a hand through his now unkempt hair. "She's in her room. Just go upstairs, first door on your left." Draco nodded and headed up the stairs almost too quickly. He did not know why he wanted to see her again so badly. _

_Tentatively, he knocked on the door. She did not answer so he opened the door to see her room empty. 'Probably in the bathroom,' he thought. Draco looked around the room to see the silver dragon she told him about sitting on her bed. He smiled and sat down on the bed, picking up the creature. Suddenly, the door to the bathroom opened and he looked up. 'Mariana looks stunning in wet hair,' was all he could think. _

"_Draco!" she exclaimed, striding towards him quickly. His heartbeat sped up immediately when she tightened him into a hug. He instinctively hugged her back. "So surprised to see you here," she mumbled into him. _

"_Yeah, we're on holiday," Draco said as she pulled back and looked at him. "You've changed over the few months." She smiled; this was what he would always say now when he saw her. And she would always reply. _

"_Not really," she chuckled. "I see you've met good old Ember, my silver dragon," she added. Draco smirked. "Don't look at me like that!" she nudged him. Draco chuckled. _

"_You're funny, you know that?" there was a red tint forming on her cheeks. He liked it when she blushed but he would never admit that at the age of twelve. So instead, he told her what was going on at Hogwarts. _

Draco sighed. The summer before third year and fourth was the same. He grew older and his feelings developed over the times he saw her. Although, he never admitted it to her. She grew more beautiful each time he saw her but he kept it to himself. He remembered when his mother found out about his little crush.

_Draco was fourteen. His family was throwing a small gathering at the manor, adults mostly but he knew Mariana was coming. He adjusted his suit; the outfit was killing him. His mother walked gracefully down the stairs and he followed a bit beside her. _

"_Draco, fix your shirt," Narcissa whispered. Draco groaned slightly and slowly fixed his shirt, trying not to disobey. "Wow, look who's here," she added. Draco looked down to see Barbara and Mariana. He gasped; she looked so beautiful. _

_His breath was caught in his throat; she was looking right at him. "Mother, I…"_

"_Is there something you want to say?" Narcissa asked curiously. Then she caught on quickly when she saw the look in Draco's grey eyes. "Do you fancy someone, Draco?" _

"_Mother…it's complicated…"_

"_Oh, of course it's not! You're still young to have a complicated life!" He did not know that was far from the truth. "You have feelings for Mariana, don't you?" _

"_Well, maybe I do," Draco mumbled. Narcissa smiled. "But I don't know if she likes me back." _

"_Go to her," Narcissa advised. "Like you always do." _

He closed his eyes as the most painful memory came back.

_He remembered sitting down in his room. His mother frantically rushed in; the colour had completely drained from her face. "Draco, I need you to go get Mariana. Something bad has happened." Without thinking twice, he went to the fireplace and used the floo. In a few seconds, he was in the living room at the Winston's house. The place was messed up; he wondered how she would be here alone. Draco sped upstairs to her bedroom, barging in without knocking. She was there; Mariana was silently whimpering, facing away from him and towards the wall. He ran to her side and bent down in front of her. _

"_Mariana, come on, I'm taking you to the manor," she looked into his eyes; she had been crying. "Come on." She shook her head. "What happened?" _

"_T-The Dark Lord is back," she stammered. "He punished my parents…by punishing me…" she was on the verge of tears. Draco placed his hands on her shoulders, gently trying to push her up. "I can't get up. You're acting as if this is not some big issue but it is! It bloody is!" she yelled, tears betraying her and falling out. He hated seeing her like this. _

"_What did he do to you?" Draco barely whispered it. He knew she could see the pain in his eyes. He had left himself open for her to see. She slowly pulled up the sleeve of her left arm. Draco gasped. 'The Dark mark.'_


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Draco packed the final item in his bag. He was ready to go to America. Never had he been there, seen a picture of that place or even heard how they spoke but he did not care. All he wanted was to take Mariana away from those muggles and back to where she truly belonged. He walked out of his room; Blaise was waiting in the living room and his mother was standing outside his room, waiting anxiously.

"Might I say that this is a very noble thing you're doing, Draco," Narcissa said. "Even if part of it is for your own personal gain," she smirked. Draco smirked.

"One good thing about being a Slytherin, mother," he said. "We are selfish but we get what we want." Narcissa smiled.

"I wish you good luck," she placed her hands on his shoulders and hugged him affectionately. Draco hugged her back without hesitation. "Well, here is a picture of her neighbourhood. Don't make a scene because remember, it's a muggle community," she explained. Draco nodded as they walked down the stairs to meet Blaise.

"All set, mate?" Blaise asked.

"Yes, we'll be off mother, see you soon," Draco hugged her one final time and showed Blaise the pictures. He nodded and they both Disapparated.

They both landed on concrete ground. It was barely morning and all Draco could see was faint silhouettes of the houses. _Bloody hell, this neighbourhood is terrible. _There were street lamps lined up and probably the only light available at that time. The houses seemed identical; he could not see which one was her house. And worst of all, the weather. It was so hot!

"How has she lived like this all these years?" Draco asked. Blaise chuckled. "And where are _we _staying?"

"Don't worry, Draco. There is a wizard world here too. We'll be staying at a place similar to the leaky cauldron," Draco's eyes lit up under the darkness. "But we have to go to her school in order to find her."

"Fine, I'll do whatever it takes," he said. Blaise nodded. "Let's get to the American wizards before dawn breaks." Draco looked around a final time. She was probably sleeping by now.

After getting a room and settling down for a while, it was 6:30am. Draco got freshened up and sat down on his bed.

"So, what time does this muggle school start?"

"Around 7:30," Blaise replied nonchalantly. They did not seem bothered by being late comers on their first day of school. They ate breakfast slowly, savoring every delicious bite of American food. "I don't think new students should be there early, right?" Draco shrugged. He had no idea.

When it was five minutes past 7:30, Draco and Blaise were casually exiting their room wearing muggle clothes and carrying something called a schoolbag. Their wands were perfectly hidden in their pockets as the muggles came into view. It was time for school. Confused, they watched as the young muggles entered a bus. They stood there, dumbfounded by the number of students in the bus. Hesitantly, they climbed on to not attract so much attention. They found two seats at the front.

"This is kind of like the knight bus," Blaise chuckled. "Except no accommodation whatsoever and not as much speed." Draco grunted in response. He did not care. He hated this.

"Hey, you're English!" a muggle boy at the back exclaimed. "What are you doing all the way here?"

"None of your bloody business mate!" Blaise exclaimed back. Draco groaned.

"You're talking to a muggle, Blaise," he whispered angrily. "Do you know how low that is?"

"We don't have a choice. I'm doing this for you. I'm lowering my standards to muggles just to find that perfect pureblood." Before Draco could answer, the bus made a halt and the students jerked forward on their seats. The doors opened and the students began filing out as a bell rang indicating the beginning of class. "Let's just act normal."

Acting normal seemed like a difficult thing now. They had to go to a registration office and actually talk to a muggle to be able to get into the classes. They had to wait all morning until recess when they were finally led to their next class – biology. The principal kindly showed them the empty classroom as everyone was out. They took two seats and sat down awkwardly. First of all, it was going to take some time getting used to the type of material the chair was made from. They were completely confused.

"So, how are we going to find Mariana now?" Blaise asked.

"We just have to see the girls in this school and how they're behaving. Things like that," Draco leaned back on his chair. They sat in silence for a while until the voices of students could be heard. Draco sat up straight. There was a conversation going on.

"No good comeback, I see," a person said. A girl entered the classroom wearing a hoodie on her head. Draco watched in fascination as a guy followed her and grabbed her arm.

"Hey I'm not done talking to you!" he exclaimed, turning her around to face him.

"What do you want from me? Leave me alone!" she snapped, pulling her arm away. They did not seem to notice Draco and Blaise in the class. The girl went to her seat but the guy still followed her and leaned on her table as she sat down. Draco felt slightly irritated by this guy and he had no idea why.

"Keep this in mind, Jefferson. You will always be the freak of the school. You and your silly witchcraft voodoo or whatever they call it," the guy said to her. He lowered his voice but Draco caught the word _witchcraft. _He shifted his chair slightly. He wanted to punch this guy in the face. But before he could do anything, the girl spat on his face.

"There's my magic. Now, try and shove it up your ass if you can," she said. Draco could see the anger in the guy's eyes. He smirked. This girl seemed fearless. The guy said nothing and left the class. _Well, if I had to talk to a muggle, let me talk to her. _He took in a deep breath.

"That was quite a show," he said. The girl turned to face them. Draco stopped himself from widening his eyes. She seemed fearless but those brown eyes were hiding her true feelings. He knew that because he did the same thing with his.

"Urm, I guess," Draco chuckled and Blaise rolled his eyes. "If you're here to also make fun of me, I'm not in the mood so take a number."

"We're new. We're not here to make fun of people," Blaise said. "I'm Blaise. This is my mate, Draco," Draco could see the way she was observing them. She had not looked at him yet until now. She was staring at him, his eyes in particular. _Did she see the resemblance as well? _

"Maybe it is better I don't say my name. You'll find out at the end of the day. People will be calling someone a freak. That's me," she turned to face the front of the class. Draco could see that she did not expect anything to happen between them. But he felt the urge to continue talking to her and he did not know why.

"Why do you wear your hoodie like that?" Draco asked. _Let me test her. _She turned to face them.

"Because I want to," she said. _Liar, _Draco smirked and he turned to face the class as students began coming in. The professor came in. Draco watched the girl. The teacher was glaring at her. _Why do they treat her differently anyway?_

"Ah, Ms. Jefferson, I see you haven't changed this summer," he was referring to the girl. _Jefferson, eh? _ The teacher and Jefferson were enemies; that's for sure. But what was wrong with her? He did not even get to see her face and it was infuriating him in a way. The girl barely looked at him again after some muggles were talking about her. She had turned at one point and he chose to stare at her. She looked back but turned away. Draco was positive that he was frightening her a bit. And he liked having an effect on her.

The bell rang after the biology class. It was lunchtime. The students sped out of the class. Draco did not see the Jefferson girl because she was the first to leave. They followed the students out of the class and to the eating area.

"So, this is called a _cafeteria_?" Blaise asked disgustedly as he took an empty seat on a table. Draco sat facing him and looked around. He did not see Jefferson yet so he observed the cafeteria. It was filthy. "I can't believe these muggles _eat _here. It's repulsing." Draco grunted in response.

"I'm not hungry. I think I lost my bloody appetite," Draco muttered. "A quick spell would clean this place up. But we can't use magic during our stay." The muggles were weird. "I can't believe –" there was a loud clang and the noisy cafeteria suddenly became as quiet as a cemetery. Draco looked around for the source of interruption and found that all eyes were on _Jefferson. _Her friend was whispering something to her and Draco could faintly hear the word _magic._ Then, the noise began again. Yes, he was sure these muggles were weird.

After lunch, their class had chemistry, whatever that was. They entered the chemistry lab and the teacher called them. Talking to muggles was becoming a thing now. The teacher turned to look at the class and saw most of the students had partners. He found a partner for Blaise at the front.

"And you, Mr. Malfoy, take the last bench," the teacher explained and handed him a notebook. Draco nodded and headed towards the last bench. What he did not notice was the familiar hoodie covering the mysterious face sitting on the bench. She was writing something. He went to the next stool and dropped his notebook on the table. She looked up hesitantly.

"Hi, I'm your new chemistry partner," he said uncertainly. It was more of a question than a statement. She nodded but he could see she was attempting to hide her face. He chuckled.

"Okay, what's so funny, Malfoy?" she was feisty. And talking to her up close was a nice thing for him.

"I'm just fascinated by you, _Jefferson_," he smirked. "I find you amusing." It was true. He found this muggle interesting to talk to.

"First person to say that," she mumbled. "Alright, let's start the experiment." Immediately, he frowned. "What's wrong? Are you afraid of chemicals?" She handed him an extra lab coat. He held it with two fingers. _How does she wear this disgusting thing? _He wanted to take it from her and dispose of it.

"What's an experiment?" he asked nervously. _Acting stupid in front of a muggle…excellent._ Her brown eyes widened behind the hoodie. "And what are chemicals?" She did not laugh. He could see it in her eyes that she understood what he was going through…as if she went through it too. If she was a muggle, she would know but if she went through what he was going through that meant she…forgot. The pieces began coming together. She began explaining what they were supposed to do.

"This is just the basics by the way," she said. She was smart. She _seemed _smart.

"Wow, then I'm bloody doomed," he decided to try something. "But it's alright; this seems a bit like potions," he said. He wanted to see her reaction to using the word _potions. _Muggles would call _him _weird. Jefferson paused. She was thinking; he was sure of it. She did not react as expected by laughing and saying, "Potions?" Instead, he watched as she seemed to remember something. _Is this girl a witch? _

"Yes, exactly like potions," she said. He sucked in a breath. _I am definitely going to keep an eye on her. _She did not mock him, laugh at him or call him stupid. He was sure she had been there before.

Her name was Maria. He found out when the chemistry teacher checked on how they were doing. He smirked. It was getting him closer to suspecting that she was Mariana. He also found out that she hated chemistry. There are a lot of things one can discover with a chemistry partner. And she was funny. But not once did she remove the hoodie.

At the end of the class, she packed her things and stood up. Draco watched as she adjusted her hoodie.

"So, tell me. What is the secret behind the hoodie?"

Maria smirked. "A big, ugly alien face," she said.

"What exactly happened to you?" he asked. She said nothing. "I haven't made fun of you yet like the others, so you can trust me."

"I don't know if I should," she muttered. Blaise called from the front of the class. "Your friend is calling," she chuckled. Draco felt his face flush. Her laugh was so cute. _Bloody hell, she's a muggle. _He motioned for Blaise to go ahead. "Aren't you going with him?"

"No, I would like to accompany you to the bus, if you don't mind that is."

"Why?" he chuckled.

"Don't ask why and say thanks, for a hot bloke like me is walking you to the bus." She laughed. "You can't pretend that I'm not hot, your friend said so, didn't she?" She nodded and laughed at the same time. "And to know what happened to you." She stopped laughing and looked at the ground as they exited the class.

"Well, I fought with some seniors this morning, that's all," she said as they left the school grounds. Everyone had already made it out of the school gates. Draco looked at her. She took a blow. And she did not complain or say it was painful.

"Let me see," he stopped on his tracks and turned to stand in front of her.

"No, don't. It'll get better," she mumbled and shoved past him slightly. Draco grabbed her hand gently and she gasped. She was nervous. Slowly, Maria used her free hand to remove her hoodie, revealing a shocking resemblance.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

It was shocking to see the face of a long time friend. It was even more shocking to see half of that face engulfed by a purple bruise. Draco stared at her long enough for her to feel uncomfortable. Maria placed the hoodie over her head once more. Draco blinked and realized he was still staring at her even though she covered her face again.

"Sorry, I don't like being stared at as if I'm some animal," she mumbled. He chuckled. "I told you it was a big alien face!" She smacked him on the arm.

"You don't look so bad. How long will that bruise take to heal?"

"It will take some time," they headed to the bus. "I can't do anything but wait." The two hopped onto the bus and found a place to sit. "Why did you come all the way from England anyway?"

Draco smirked. "I'm on a…mission, you can say," he watched her frown.

"What kind of mission?"

"I'm looking for someone in this school…" he paused. He had said too much already. He could not tell her what he was up to. He needed to find Mariana and get out of this muggle world. "Why do people call you a freak?"

She said nothing for a while. "You don't need to know," she muttered. Before he could say anything, the bus arrived at the bus stop and they all went down. "Anyway, see you tomorrow, Malfoy. It was nice meeting you," she added, a smile forming on her lips. Draco could not help but smile back. He watched as she turned the corner and headed towards an apartment building.

Draco went in the opposite direction towards the magical part of the town, Blaise right behind him. They made their way to their room and opened their bags.

"We have muggle homework," Draco muttered. "I have no bloody idea how to do it so I better just fail."

"How's Jefferson?" Blaise changed the subject. Draco smiled slightly but managed to hide it. "I saw you two talking."

"I think she's Mariana," Draco said. "She looks almost exactly like her. And think about it. People call her a freak because she's supposedly a muggle with weird magic. Isn't that right?"

"You can't be so sure, Draco," Blaise opened a notebook. "We can't just bring in a random muggle to London. We have to confirm everything first."

Draco thought for a moment. "Fine, I'll check if she has the Dark Mark. Will that confirm everything?" Blaise nodded and began working on his assignment. "Bloody hell, Blaise. You're not actually doing the work, are you?"

"It's due tomorrow," Blaise mumbled. Draco chuckled and went to the bathroom. He stared at himself in the mirror. After a day in California, his pale features seemed to have darkened a bit. Draco groaned; he hated the tan colour on his skin. It made him look abnormal. He washed his face and freshened up before attempting to do the useless muggle work.

Meanwhile, Maria was punching the button on the elevator as she made her way to her apartment. She lived with her aunt and uncle. Her parents were killed in a car accident when she was younger or so she was told. She did not remember anything about them and all she actually remembered in her life was opening her eyes to find herself in California.

_There it was again – the sound of seagulls. She was sure of it. But how come she could hear those birds? She never saw them before. She decided to open her eyes now; it was daytime. She was in an empty bedroom, a room she had never seen before in her life. Confused, she got out of bed and looked around. It was a very hot day and she felt like she did not belong there. Suddenly, the door opened. A couple walked in, looking nervous. _

"_Hi, Maria," the woman said. Maria did not know this woman at all. How did the woman know her? "You'll be staying here, alright?" _

"_Who are you?" She asked. The woman laughed nervously. _

"_We're your aunt and uncle, silly. Don't you remember how you got here? You just came from San Diego. You will start school here and…" _

"_What? I'm confused. I don't know you two at all." Maria backed away from them. At that point, she placed her hand on her pocket, looking for something. But she was not sure what she was looking for anymore. _

"_You knew us when you were just a baby. You simply can't remember us now! We were told to take care of you. So, make yourself at home, alright?" Maria did nothing but nod. She could not argue with them. _

Maria opened the apartment door with an extra key from under the mat. Her aunt and uncle were at work so she had the apartment to herself. She made her way to the bathroom and removed her hoodie. The purple bruise had gotten worse. She stared at her brown eyes in her reflection and finally gave in to her emotions. She was miserable. Tying her long, black hair into a bun, she opened the medicine cabinet and brought out an ointment to clean the bruise with.

After freshening up, she headed to the kitchen and took her portion of food from the microwave as usual. It was spaghetti. She sat on the balcony and ate silently. It was peaceful. _I like being alone sometimes. _It made her think about what she could remember. Ever since she woke up in California four years ago, there was a big gap in her mind and she did not know what had to be filled there.

The door opened; her aunt and uncle were home. Maria took her plate to the kitchen and greeted them.

"Hey," Maria muttered, ignoring their gasps and taking her plate to the kitchen.

"What happened to your face?" her aunt, Marcy Jefferson, asked. Maria shrugged as if it was normal to get a big purple bruise on her cheek. "Did you get into a fight in school?"

"Well, no, not technically," she answered, placing her plate in the dish washer. "It was at the bus stop." Lenny Jefferson frowned. "I got beat up," she added and turned to face them. "You know, I'm not stupid. I know there's something wrong with me by now. But why aren't you pointing it out? Why are you behaving as if I'm normal? I'm seventeen years old! I need answers!" Maria unconsciously slammed the counter. Her aunt and uncle seemed afraid of her and she never knew why. "Why are you afraid to answer? Are you scared of this?" Maria exclaimed, pulling up her sleeve furiously to reveal her horrific tattoo. She noticed them flinch. "Well, it's not that scary! I don't even know how I got it! And you both have been hiding something from me for the past four years! You think I wouldn't notice by now? I'm _very _observant!"

"Maria, calm down. If you sit, we can give you some answers without having an argument…"

"Fine, I'll sit," she pulled a chair and sat, waiting. "Now start talking." Marcy and Lenny hesitated. "Please!"

"You're not from here. You're not even American, Maria," Lenny managed to say.

"If I'm not American, what am I?"

"We don't know. You were brought to us when you were thirteen by an English woman. The woman told us to keep you safe and never mention anything to you about her. You're not a Jefferson. We don't even know your real name or why you behave so oddly. The woman that brought you was as weird as you too," Marcy said. Maria tried to think but nothing came into mind. "She said you lost your memory. We don't know anything else, dear." Maria believed them. They were acting like cowards and she could see it in their eyes that they were sincere. So, she left the kitchen hastily.

Maria wanted to get out of there. She was not a Jefferson. Then, who was she? She did not belong here and neither did she belong in America. She took out a backpack and began stuffing her clothes and necessities in. If she did not belong here, then why stay? Maria paused. Where would she go? She sighed and dropped the bag on the bed. _I need time to process things first. Then I'll leave. _So she hid her backpack under her bed and went to do her homework.

The next morning, Draco and Blaise made it to the bus early. They found two seats at the back before anyone did. Draco wanted to see Maria but he did not find her in the bus or even at the bus stop.

"We have chemistry first," Blaise muttered, checking his timetable. Draco shook his head. Blaise was acting like a total muggle. But it did not bother Draco as before. He did not mind actually. "I hope you finished that assignment."

"Yes I did. Have you seen Maria anywhere?" Blaise shook his head. "Forget it; I'll see her in class."

In the chemistry class, the back row was empty. Draco took his seat. Her place was vacant. It started to make him feel on edge. The teacher began the lesson and everybody started to work. Draco needed Maria's help to finish the work so he was completely lost.

At 8:15, she came in. Draco looked up; she was covering her face with a hoodie again and she was holding a tissue against her face. She nodded at the teacher and went to take her seat beside Draco at the back. Draco could see her shaking a bit and there was a bit of blood on her hand.

"What happened?" Draco asked.

"N-Nothing, I'm fine," she mumbled. She could barely talk either. Her voice was shaking and it sounded different. She turned her face to remove the tissue but Draco was taller and he could see what she was doing. The tissue was drenched with blood. His eyes widened. He had to do something. He shot his hand up.

"Sir, can Maria and I be excused?" Draco asked. Maria turned to him. He ignored her and continued his excuse expertly.

"Why?"

"It's urgent," Draco slowly removed his wand from his pocket without Maria noticing. "She needs to see the nurse, now."

"Is this true, Jefferson?" Maria did not say anything until Draco cast a spell on her and she fainted. Everybody gasped. They did not see what Draco did.

"It's the acid," Draco said. "She was feeling dizzy," he added. All eyes were still on him as he carried Maria and took her quickly out of the class.

Draco hid her face behind the hoodie until they were well out of sight from everyone. "Rennervate," he muttered quietly and she opened her eyes immediately. "Are you okay?"

"You…What did you do? Why did you do that? What are you...?" her voice trailed off when he put her down and removed her hoodie from over her head. "No!" she gasped, trying to put it back quickly but Draco stopped her. He held both of her hands.

"Relax, no one's here. Just you and me," he said, studying her face. "Did you get into a fight again?" he raised one of his hands and traced the cut on her lip. She winced.

"I'll go to the nurse if that's what you wanted to hear. Just don't tell anyone what happened," she muttered. The purple bruise had gotten much worse. "I need to get out of here," she whispered.

"Why is that?"

"I don't belong here so I'll leave," she was making no sense. He let go of her hands and she quickly put her hoodie back.

But not before Draco noticed something on her arm as she adjusted her sleeve. He saw a black skull.

"The Dark Mark," he whispered. She froze. "What's that on your arm?" he asked. She pulled her sleeve down and shoved past him. He stopped her. "Please, you can trust me. What's on your arm?"

She looked at him. He could see it in her eyes. She was lost and she did not know what to do. "I'm not demonic, okay? I don't know how it got there or when. I just woke up and saw it there," she explained.

"You saw what?"

"This creepy tattoo on my forearm. I tried everything to remove it but nothing worked. So, don't agree with everyone that I worship the demon," she answered. Draco did not hear anything after she said _nothing worked. _He grabbed her left arm, despite her protests and pulled her sleeve up. There it was. The Dark Mark was on her arm. She was a witch. He pulled her sleeve down and held her hand tightly.

"We're leaving. Now," he said, pulling her along with him as he began walking.

"What do you mean? What are you talking about?" she asked. She looked worried. He ignored her and continued walking fast. He just needed to get Blaise and they would leave. She stopped and tugged at her arm. "I'm not going anywhere with you!" she exclaimed. He sighed. _You can't complain anymore. _

"We have to go. I'm taking you back to where you came from. I'm doing you a favour."

"No, you're not!"

"I'm not the bad guy here," he said. "We need to go." She still didn't move. He sighed and turned to face her. "I know you're confused right now but I promise everything will be explained once we get back." She still did not move. "Bloody hell, Maria! This is for your own good!" he exclaimed.

"You can't just take me! I have a family here! I have a friend! I…" the school bell rang. Draco groaned. She managed to escape his grasp and run into the crowd, making him lose sight of her. Where she was going, he had no idea but he knew he had to find her and get them out of there.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Draco searched the crowd again but he was certain she was gone. He felt a tap on his shoulder and he instinctively turned around and grabbed the person, expecting it to be Maria.

"Do you just have to run off like that?" he exclaimed but he let go of the person. "Oh, sorry Blaise."

"It's alright. What was that for?"

"Maria ran off. She has the Dark Mark. I'm sure it's Mariana but now I don't know where she is."

"Calm down. At least we know who we're looking for. We're wizards. It's not so hard to find a muggle."

"Who is a witch," Draco corrected him. Blaise pointed it out. "She ran off. Wow, I didn't know she was that scared."

"Of course she would be scared. Someone comes and tells her he's taking her away. How do you think she would feel?" Draco froze."Don't worry, Draco. We'll find her." Draco nodded and thought for a moment. _Maybe she went to her apartment._ He wanted to search for her that instant but Blaise insisted he wanted to go to one more class before they stopped for good because Draco was determined to get her that day. _And Slytherins always get what they want. _

At lunchtime, Draco went to the chemistry lab to look for the teacher. He entered the class; it was empty. He was about to leave when he spotted a bag on the last bench. It was Maria's bag. He smirked. _She probably needs her bag. _That was an excuse to be let into her house without being violent, unless Maria did something. They skipped lunch and headed to the apartment building.

Maria made her way out of the school building without being followed. She was relieved too because she did not know what to do if she faced him right now. Draco Malfoy was officially scaring her. The way he looked at her tattoo was not how a normal person would. He looked at it as if he had seen it before. And she did not understand where exactly she came from so she did not know where he was taking her. So she fled the scene like the coward she was.

She left the school gates and hailed a cab in a very fast process, afraid Draco would find her. She went back to her apartment and entered her room. She was going to leave. Maria removed her hoodie and dropped it on the bed, heading towards the bathroom to wash her face. The sink was instantly becoming red. She treated her face but it was no use because all the bruises and cuts were clearly visible. Giving up, she went back to her room to finish her packing.

It was noon by the time she finished. The weather was blazing hot and the only money she had was 50 dollars. She could not get anywhere with that much money. She zipped up her bag and wore her hoodie until she found something on her bed. The little silver dragon sat there as if watching her in amusement. She picked it up. It was one thing she cherished in her life and she was not going to leave it behind.

"Do you think I forgot about you, Ember? You are my prized possession," She smirked and placed it in one of the zipper pockets of her bag. When she was all set to leave, the front door opened. Marcy passed by the room and noticed Maria holding her backpack, ready to leave.

"What are you doing home? And why do you have a stuffed backpack?"

"I'm leaving, Marcy. I figured I don't belong here and I just think it's better for all of us if I leave to prevent the Jefferson's from carrying a humiliating name," she muttered. Lenny walked in.

"Alright, do you know where you're going?" Maria shook her head. "Do you have enough money?" Again, no. "Then how exactly are you going to _live_? You can't carry an empty tin can and start begging for money, can you?" Maria sighed. They were making her decision seem like a big impossibility.

"I don't know anything. All I know is that I don't want to be a burden on you and I don't want to be abducted by new English guys and disappear into thin…" her voice trailed off when the doorbell rang. Maria groaned. She did not need any other witness in this. Marcy excused herself and headed to the front door. Maria folded her arms across her chest.

"I'm sorry. Did you say English guys?" Lenny asked. Maria nodded. "And how will they abduct you? They're not aliens," he chuckled.

"No, but they're wizards," she said it before she stopped herself. _Did I just say wizards? _Lenny started laughing. "I meant…"

Marcy came back into the room. "Maria, you have a visitor. He claims you forgot your bag in school," she said. Maria furrowed her brow in confusion until she saw the platinum blonde hair and grey eyes. She gasped.

"NO! LEAVE ME ALONE!" she yelled. Marcy's eyes widened. "I'm not going anywhere!" Lenny chuckled.

"Is this the alien English boy?" he asked. He was laughing. "This guy is not an alien. He's just very handsome."

Draco was approaching her now, a big smirk on his face. He dropped her bag on the bed.

"H-How did you find me?" she asked, backing up. She could see it in those shining grey eyes. He knew he had won.

"I saw you come to this building yesterday. So, I kept that in mind," he said. She backed up against her desk and she started shaking her head. "You can't hide for long, Maria. You need to come back now."

"Please, Lenny, Marcy, don't let him take me!" Maria pleaded. Lenny laughed and left the room with Marcy. "I'm not joking! He's…" she watched in shock as Draco pulled out his wand from his pocket. Her eyes widened. "Y-You…You're a wizard," she gasped. Draco raised his eyebrows simultaneously. He approached her slowly and it was terrifying her. "Don't…"

"I won't hurt you, Maria," he said. His voice seemed to calm her a bit. But she did not show that. She needed to get out of there and fast. Thinking of the easiest and stupidest way out, she shoved past him and headed for the door. But he was faster. He grabbed her arm before she could get out of the room.

"Let me go!" she exclaimed. He did not listen. "Please! I don't want to go anywhere!" He shook his head. _You're such a liar._ Marcy came back into the room, holding a glass of lemonade. "Marcy! He's a wizard! He's going to take me away! You have to do something!" Maria exclaimed helplessly. Draco's grip was strong on her arm.

"Maria, don't exaggerate. You're acting delusional," Marcy said. Maria felt her heart stop. No one was going to help her. Draco could feel her stop struggling. He leaned into her slightly without Marcy noticing.

"Let's give them a show," he whispered, wand in hand. Maria said nothing. "It's going to be a good thing for the both of us," he added. "I promise." With that said he pulled Maria to him and grabbed her backpack in the process, swinging it over his shoulder. "Mrs. Jefferson, I promise you that you will not see Maria ever again," Draco said.

"What do you mean?" Marcy asked, confused. "You're not going to _abduct _her, are you?" she chuckled. "I'm sorry; Lenny said something about Draco being an alien or something."

"No, I'm not an alien," Marcy nodded in agreement. "But I'm a wizard." Marcy froze and stared at him in disbelief until she spotted the wand in his hand. "Well, Maria, say goodbye to Aunt Marcy." Maria tugged at her hand again but he knew she was just trying to show him that she did not give up. He knew he had won the moment he walked into the apartment.

"You're joking, right?" Marcy asked. "You're not serious, are you?" she backed up to the threshold and called Lenny. He came in, a big smile on his face as if he had been laughing all this while. Maria watched as the two stared in shock at Draco holding a wand in one hand and Maria's arm firmly in another.

"No, in fact, I'm very serious. Remember the woman that brought her here four years ago?" Marcy nodded. "Yes, I'm her son. And I want Maria now." He said. They looked scared now. They knew they could not argue with a wizard. He could kill them easily in one swift movement. Maria watched as they fell back in defeat, allowing Draco to take Maria out of the room. But she still struggled. "Say goodbye. You won't see them again."

Maria tugged at her hand. "Well, I won't see my best friend either! You're destroying my life!" she snapped. He pulled her closer to him.

"You'll thank me later. But for now, I want you to…" his breath hitched in his throat when she kicked him in the shin and he let go of her arm as she ran out of the apartment. "Bloody hell," he muttered. She was too stubborn. He carried her backpack and smirked. He turned to the flabbergasted muggles and raised his wand towards them. "Obliviate," he muttered lazily. He removed the memories of anything related to wizardry. They looked at each other confused. _For their own good. _He nodded at them and began leaving. _She won't get that far. _And he walked imperturbably out of the room.

Maria went down the elevator as fast as she could, pressing on the button about ten times. But she knew it would not go any faster. She sighed and waited until it stopped. She opened the door of the elevator and ran towards the exit of the apartment building. She opened the door; she could sense the feeling of relief as she opened the doors, until someone grabbed her arm from the side. She gasped and turned. Her relief was immediately replaced with dread when she saw none other than Blaise, a big smirk on his face as he held her arm.

"You can't hide from this," he said. She tugged at her hand angrily. Maria was not going to show him how scared she was.

"Let me go, Blaise," she muttered. He shook his head. "Come on! What did I ever do to you two?"

"You didn't do anything, Maria. You're just not listening when we're trying to explain to you…"

"When were you two ever explaining?"

"You didn't give us the chance to," Blaise answered calmly. "You're much better than this. We're taking you somewhere better for you."

"I don't care! I never agreed to this! I want to stay here!" she snapped angrily. She was struggling again now, hitting him on his chest with her free hand. Blaise sighed and easily caught her other hand.

"Why don't you just deal with this in a calm matter? We're not bad guys. At least, not anymore," he explained, smirking. She pushed against him angrily when she remembered her legs were free. She was about to kick him but Blaise could sense it coming. Before she could do anything, her whole body froze and she could not move anymore. Blaise caught her before she fell and he smirked at her immobile face. "Should have thought of that before," he muttered proudly.

Draco finally came down carrying Maria's bag. He opened the door to see Blaise holding Maria who was not moving a muscle. Draco caught on quickly. She struggled against Blaise and he cast the body-binding curse on her.

"Nice move, Blaise but I don't want to be her enemy so, please? I have my own way of dealing with this in a friendly manner," Draco explained. Blaise groaned. He did not want to lift the curse because Maria would attack him then. But he had no choice so he lifted the curse.

When she was able to move, she blinked twice and looked at Blaise in astonishment. He raised an eyebrow. He hoped she learned some sort of lesson from that. But that was when she realized her hands were free too and she began to flee again. That was when Draco caught her and wrapped his arm around her.

"You're not escaping again, Maria. I don't want to hurt you," Draco said.

"This is my life. I don't want to leave. So why can't you just accept that fact?"

"Because I know you're lying. I know you want to leave but you're too scared to leave with someone you met a day ago," he explained. "When you come with us, you're going to remember who you truly are. You're going to remember everything you can't. Don't you want that?" he asked hopefully. "I know how you're feeling. And believe it or not, I'm your long time friend. You just need to come with us and you will be answered."

Maria paused. She stopped struggling. "I have a family here," she whispered. "I have a friend."

Draco shook his head. "They're not your family. And your friend has other friends but you did not have any. Do you still want to be that freak?" Draco was desperate. He did not want her to stay with muggles any longer than she has now. He wanted to get her out of there.

"How dare you say that to me? You don't know anything about me to tell me that!" she snapped and pushed against him again. "Find someone else," she added.

"Can't you see? It's you that I want! You're the one we need to bring back! There is no one else!"

"I don't care! I don't give a damn about your problems! I just want to go!" she struggled again. It was time for drastic measures. Draco nodded at Blaise and he knew what that meant. Blaise nodded back and cast a spell at Maria. Before she knew it, she blacked out.

"She is a bloody handful. Are you sure she's Mariana?" Blaise asked. Draco pulled up her sleeve to reveal the Dark Mark. "Oh, I see." He paused. "Well, talk about dealing with this in a _friendly _manner."

"Let's get out of here. I'm surprised we didn't attract any muggles with the scene we were doing," Draco muttered, carrying Maria up. Blaise grabbed her backpack.

"They couldn't see us. I'm sure you know what that means," Blaise explained. _Disillusionment charm. _Draco nodded and looked around for a final time.

"Mission accomplished," he said, looking down at the unconscious girl in his arms. "I found her. I found Mariana Winston."

"Yeah, let's see what happens when we get back then," Blaise said. Draco chuckled. "I'm sure it would be easy to handle her there." Draco grinned. _It's my place there. I can handle anything. _He took a deep breath and nodded at Blaise. Draco began focusing on England as they both Disapparated.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

It was cold. She was sure of it when she felt the breeze hit her bare arm and the goose bumps begun rising on her skin. Maria fluttered her eyes open. Her arms were spread on both sides of her and they still did not reach the edge of the bed she was lying on. _Wait, what bed? _She tried sitting up but her head was throbbing so she chose to stay lying down and stare at the really far ceiling. She did not notice how big the room was. And how _cold _it was. She was not used to this kind of weather. But she could not shake the feeling that she had been in this room before.

"Sleep well?" someone asked. She shivered involuntarily. She turned to her left to find Draco sitting on a chair beside the bed. _Why didn't I see this coming? Of course he is going to surprise me. _

"Where am I?" she muttered calmer than she expected. He smiled and looked down.

"Welcome to the Malfoy manor, Maria," he said, looking up. His grey eyes dazzled her. "Looks familiar, right?"

It did look familiar but she chose to deny it and change the subject. "You brought me to _England_?" he nodded. "And how did you do that so quickly?"

"By magic. It's very simple, actually," he ran a hand through his hair. "You mean you don't remember what happened back in America?" she did not answer. "Blaise used magic to make you immobile. I Obliviated those muggles. I made you unconscious…really, by now it shouldn't be a surprise anymore." She glared at him. "If you don't believe me, check your face. I'm sure you remember how badly injured you were." Frowning, she attempted to sit up again, hiding the pain she was feeling. Draco accioed a pocket mirror and handed it to her, aware of the pain she was hiding. Maria took it hesitantly, looking at him. He urged her to look at herself in the mirror. When she looked, her face had no purple bruise, no cut on her lip and…nothing. Her cuts and bruises were completely gone.

"What…How…?"

"I healed you when you were unconscious," he stood up. "I'm sure you want to rest. I just need one favour from you though," he folded his arms across his chest. "I need you to trust me. Please," he said. She did not know what to say to that so she nodded and looked down at her laps. "Do you need anything else? You're being unusually quiet."

She cleared her throat and looked around the room. "Whose room is this?" she asked. Draco stared curiously at her.

"This is my room," he answered. She looked back at him.

"Then where are you sleeping if I'm in your room?"

"I find my way to sleep," he smirked. She furrowed her brow, still not getting it. "In here," he whispered that part. Her eyes widened and he chuckled. "Relax," he added and winked at her before leaving the room. Maria let out a breath she did not realize she was holding. _What is he getting at? _

Draco went to the kitchen after feeling relieved that Maria was okay. He could not help but feel a bit protective over her. Blaise was eating away as Draco sat beside him and grabbed some of the food. His parents had left for France for one week and informed them by leaving a note.

"So, how is she?"

"She's fine. She seems a bit…sad, though," Draco muttered. "I don't like seeing her like this. I like it when she talks and argues but behaving like she gave up…" he shook his head. "She'll probably be fine later." Blaise shrugged and continued eating.

Draco wanted Maria to trust him. He knew she still felt cautious around him but he wanted her to let her guard down and allow herself to trust him. But it was just temporary. By the end of the week, his parents would be back with the memory potion and she would remember everything again, no matter how painful it was. He sighed and left the kitchen to check on Maria again.

He went up the flight of stairs and slowly opened his bedroom door a crack. He looked inside to see Maria awake, sitting on the bed and staring at her face in the mirror. He smirked; she still was in shock. He opened the door and walked into the room without knocking.

"I wanted to know if you were hungry," he said quickly.

"But you told me to sleep," she frowned, looking up and staring at him with her beautiful brown eyes.

"Since you're not sleeping, I suggest you join Blaise and me in the kitchen," he muttered. She looked back at the mirror.

"I'm not hungry," she mumbled and fell back on the bed. _His _bed. "But thanks for the offer."

"What will it take for you to trust me?" he asked, inviting himself to sit on the bed. She could not argue because it was his bed after all. "I can't help but feel guilty." She looked at him, a certain emotion flickering in her eyes but it was quickly replaced with anger. She was hiding her feelings again.

"Well, you should feel guilty," she said. "You practically kidnapped me from my own apartment and brought me all the way to England! Do you know how that makes me feel? I don't know where I am or what this place looks like…or this country!" she sat up in frustration. "Answer one question, Draco. I just need a truthful answer. Why did you bring me here?"

Draco sat there for a whole minute, unable to say anything. She was mad at him. "I found your name in a records list last week," he said, making sure he did not say anything about having to marry her in the near future. "I saw your picture and I was curious as to why you did not have any information apart from being a pureblood…"

"I'm sorry. Did you say pureblood?"

"Yes, wizards or witches whose parents are both possessing magical abilities," he explained. "Well, I asked my mother about you and she told me your whole story. If you don't believe me, you will in a week when she comes back from France. Can you please wait for a bit…?" his voice trailed off when he caught something silver on his bed. He leaned in and took it before she could protest or take it from him.

"Give that back, Draco," she muttered, reaching out for it. Draco did not give it to her and stared at it. It was the tiny silver dragon she had when she was younger. "This is totally embarrassing."

"It's not embarrassing," he said. "The dragon's name is Ember right?" her eyes widened. Before she could say anything, he continued, "I told you I'm an old friend," he added and gave it back to her. He stood up and headed to a shelf on the other side of the room and took his green dragon. He went back to Maria and showed it to her. "Does this look familiar?"

Maria stared at it. She was completely shocked. The green dragon was exactly like Ember except for the colour.

She tentatively took it and stared at it. "They…They're the same," she mumbled. He nodded. "Maybe it's just a coincidence," she added uncertainly.

"It was when we first met. But now, it's just a memory," he answered. She smiled and gave it back to him. "You have to know why I did this, Maria. I don't want you to be mad at me. And admit it; your life was terrible in America."

"But I have to go…"

"No, you don't!" he exclaimed, standing up. "Did you see what those filthy muggles did to your face? They made you bleed! They tormented you! And you don't deserve any of that! In this world, we're at the top. They're at the bottom. You are better than them and I will never let them touch you again! Can you please understand that?" he ran a hand through his hair. "This is how I feel. I hate it when they call you a freak. I hate it when they hit you and I hate the fact that they made your life miserable for four years!"

Maria stared at her laps. "Those people will think I'm a coward now," she muttered. "Not that I am brave. I am a total coward but I don't let people see that. When I won't show up in school, they would think I got scared of them and…"

"You were planning on leaving before I told you to come with me," he said. "You were leaving because you knew you didn't belong there. Those Jefferson's you stayed with were afraid of you…of that tattoo on your forearm, weren't they?"

She looked down. "What does that tattoo have to do with…?"

"That tattoo is called the Dark Mark. It was branded on the forearms of the followers of the Dark Lord. His name was Voldemort and he was killed a year ago. You can say he was the bad guy here," Draco explained. "You got the mark against your will. It was some sort of punishment and it used to burn when Voldemort was calling his followers. Now that he's dead and gone, it doesn't burn anymore."

Maria thought for a moment. "How do you know what it feels like?"

Draco smirked and pulled up his sleeve. "Because I have the mark," he said. Her eyes widened again. "I was a follower of Voldemort and I'm not proud of it. I am a coward and I cannot stand up to my own father. If you don't understand any of this now, you will soon. Be patient."

She did not know what to say. She watched as he sat back on the bed beside her. His eyes were searching hers for some sort of answer. But she did not know what he was searching for. Draco sighed.

"You should at least remember something. You couldn't have forgotten every single thing," he whispered. Maria felt uncomfortable under his gaze. It was as if he was unraveling her with his eyes. "Okay, let me ask you a basic question. Everyone here is supposed to know the answer." She nodded. "What's your blood status?"

Maria frowned. _What is my blood status? _"Urm…A positive?" Draco chuckled.

"No, you're a pureblood," he smirked. Maria laughed. Draco looked down. _Her laugh is always beautiful. _"We just have to wait, then," he said. "Because you can't remember a single thing." _My mother did a good job in wiping your memory. _Her smile faded. "You know you're not going back, right?" She nodded. "Well, you shouldn't be so…"

"You say this is a mansion or something. Don't you have a guest room? Why do I have to sleep in your room?" She interrupted.

"This is a manor. The currently accessible rooms are all being used. Until my mother gets back, you might as well sleep here. Or do you prefer the dungeons?" he asked. Maria sighed. "And I want to see…I mean, I don't want you to get lost here." _That barely made sense. _"Or are you worried about me and my sleeping arrangements?" he smirked.

"I didn't say anything. Say what you want. I'm just trying to be reasonable," she smirked back and got out of bed.

"Hey, where are you going?"

"I need a shower. I'm sure your bathroom's mine too?" she answered. Without waiting for an answer, she entered the adjoining bathroom and closed the door behind her. Draco stared at the closed door until he heard the water running. That was when he realized Mariana was in his bathroom. He ran a hand through his unkempt hair and fell back on his bed. _This girl is making me bonkers. _The bathroom door opened. He sat up straight, closing his eyes. "Draco?" she asked. He opened one eye slowly. "Where are the towels?"

"Do you want me to show you?" she rolled her eyes and opened the door wider.

"Relax, I'm wearing clothes," she chuckled. Draco chuckled as well and got her the towel from a cupboard in the bathroom. She took it from him. "Thanks," she added. "Anything else I should know?"

Draco observed her. "It's cold here," he said. She raised her eyebrows. "And you don't have any long sleeves apart from that hoodie you wore to school and it doesn't help," he accioed a black sweater and handed it to her. "Take one of mine." Before she could protest, he placed it in her hands and headed out of the bathroom.

The smallest thought of Mariana in his bathroom made him think in a completely different way. He sighed and paced his bedroom nervously, looking for something to distract him. If he had the slightest thought about her at that point, nothing would stop him from barging into the bathroom and snogging her senseless. He left the room. Draco sped downstairs and saw Blaise with Pansy Parkinson.

"Pansy, when did you get here?" Draco asked confused. She smirked and held Blaise's hand.

"I heard you found a pureblood?" she said. Draco nodded. "Well, how is she? Is she pretty? What's her name? Does she…?"

"Please, no. Blaise, I need a distraction. Now," Draco muttered. Pansy understood and smirked.

"She's already got to you, then?"

"It's a long story," Blaise interrupted. "We'll tell you but first, Draco should know something." Draco looked at the two of them. Then his eyes went down to their intertwined hands. "I'm arranged to be married to Pansy."

"That's a…surprise," Draco raised an eyebrow. "I'm happy for you two," he added and looked at Blaise again impatiently.

"Do you _really _want a distraction?" he hesitated. _No. _"If you want, Pansy will go up there." _Even worse. _Draco shook his head. "Fine, what do you want exactly?"

"I'm absolutely sure you know what I want. And I can't get what I want at this very moment because the person I want it from was Obliviated four years ago," Draco explained quickly. Pansy gasped.

"Both of you, in the living room. You have a lot of explaining to do!"


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

Pansy listened attentively as Blaise and Draco completed the story of Mariana Winston. It was quite a story to hear and she thought maybe this girl could be a good addition to their society. As soon as the story was over, she stood up from her seat in the living room and looked at Draco.

"I'm going to befriend this girl, if you don't mind," she said, a smirk forming on her lips. "You can't keep her locked up in your bloody room for the rest of her life."

"She won't come out and I can't force her to," Draco answered. "You can try but not now. She just got here and doesn't need a lot on her so soon."

Yes, Draco used to hate Pansy but now they could confide in her. Ever since the fourth year, she had begun to mature in looks and behavior and she became friends with Draco and Blaise unlike the other girls who just fawned over them. And now, Pansy was glad there was another different pureblood around. Maybe she could get to like this girl. Well, she had to if Mariana was going to marry Draco later in their lives. Who would be the bridesmaid? She sighed and looked at Draco.

"Why don't you keep her company now? I need to steal Blaise for a bit," she wrapped her arm around Blaise. "We need some quality time," she added. Blaise chuckled.

Draco sighed, shooing them away. "Have fun," he muttered. They smiled in unison and went through the floo. Draco cleared his throat and headed upstairs. It was getting colder now; night was very close. He went back to his room, forgetting for a split second that Mariana was in his bathroom until he reached his bedroom door. He stopped in front of it then slowly raised his hand to knock on the door.

"Come in," she said. Draco opened the door; Maria was sitting on his bed. She was wearing his sweater and her hair was wet. _This is the second time I see her hair wet. _"You don't have to keep checking up on me, you know."

Draco shrugged. "I just want to," he said. "And I'm bored. There's no one in the house to disturb." He leaned casually against the wall. "I'm sure you're not enjoying on your own, are you?" he asked. She shrugged and leaned back on the bed. Draco observed her. "Would you like me to show you around the manor?"

Mariana did not say no this time. She nodded and followed Draco out of his bedroom. She wondered how he could stay in this huge house all by himself sometimes. She thought it was scary to be in a big empty house alone. So she had to say yes. He took her to the kitchen first.

"Well you can see that this is the kitchen," Draco said. Mariana looked around. _This place looks familiar. _She turned to the sink and came face to face with a house elf. She shrieked.

"Holy shit!" she exclaimed. Draco realized what just happened and chuckled. "What's so funny?"

"That's a house elf, Maria," he replied. Her eyes widened as she turned to the creature at the sink. "Peggy." _This is fascinating. _"Don't freak out, it might scare her."

"Peggy did not mean to scare her, master Draco," Peggy mumbled. "Peggy has not seen Miss Winston in a long time. Peggy only meant to see her."

"It's alright, Peggy," Draco looked at Mariana. She was furrowing her brow in confusion.

"She called me Miss Winston," she said. "Why did she call me that, Draco?" Mariana turned to Draco. He remained indifferent but she could see he was hiding something behind his expressionless features. "Tell me!" she pleaded.

"It's a long story and I don't want to confuse you. If you wait for my mother to get back then you will find out everything," Draco said simply. Maria did not say anything. She knew she would not be able to pry any answers from him. It was becoming maddening to wait for answers.

Draco showed her the rest of the manor and it probably took over one hour. He kept looking at her reaction to everything and whether she thought it was weird, creepy or just _not normal._ She had lived as a muggle after all. After showing her the interior of the manor, he opened the back door and led her to the garden. Her eyes immediately widened and he could see she was trying to hide her shock as much as she could but he knew it was merely impossible. The garden was beautiful. It was his favourite place. And he could easily tell that she liked it too.

_He was sitting on one of the garden chairs outside. He always sat there when he wanted to be alone or to just be away from the cold inside the manor. He closed his eyes and allowed his mind to wander off. He was fourteen at that time. _

_It was the morning after the gathering at his house and his mind drifted off to Mariana. She looked so beautiful that night and ever since then, he could not stop thinking about her. _

_He turned to look at the entrance to his house from the garden and there she was. Mariana was walking towards him, black hair swaying in the wind. He stared for so long in his daydream. He did not want to wake up. That was until he blinked and he realized it was not a dream to begin with. She was really there. _

"_I thought you were sleeping with your eyes open!" she chuckled and sat on the other chair beside him. "Hi, Draco," she added. He shook his head. _

"_Hi…what are you doing here?" he asked. "I mean, I'm just wondering…" he said._

_She smiled. "Our mothers are going to Diagon alley. She said I should stop by," she answered. "And guess what? I got my powers!" she exclaimed. "Well, I only missed three years of Hogwarts but I'm not too late, right? My father was teaching me at home and I read a lot of books…which reminds me, I need your help in learning some…"_

"_Calm down, Mariana," he chuckled. "You're rambling…but first, congratulations and of course I will help you in whatever you want," he added. _

"_Thanks, Draco," she said. "By the way, I never realized that this is my first time in your garden. It's so beautiful," she added. "I'd sit here all day if I could," she sighed and leaned back on the chair. He stared at her. She looked so peaceful. Unconsciously, his eyes drifted down to her lips. Maybe if he just leaned in and kissed her slightly she would not be offended or…he was suddenly leaning in before he could stop himself. She looked at him and he could see she wanted to say something but she did not. He was almost there…_

"_Draco, Mariana, there you both are!" Barbara Winston exclaimed. Draco sat back quickly and Mariana cleared her throat. "We just came back from Diagon alley. It is so crowded," she added. "If you need anything, we're in the living room," she smiled and left. Draco looked at Mariana but her eyes were looking at the ground. Maybe kissing her would be a mistake…_

He snapped out of his reverie. Mariana was already making her way to one of the garden chairs. He followed suit and sat down at his usual place. She was still looking around, admiring the place even though it was autumn.

"It's beautiful," she said. "And honestly, I like this place the most."

"Me too," he answered. "I never liked the manor. It's so big and lifeless," Mariana looked at him longingly. She felt pity for him in a way. Tentatively, she reached out to hold his hand but then thought twice. Maybe he would get the wrong idea and…before she could do anything else, he caught hold of her hesitating hand and enclosed it in his. She stared at her hand dwarfed in his. It felt…_warm_ and _perfect._ She sighed and kept her eyes down but she knew his eyes were staring right at her. She did not have the courage to look up.

A sound came from the kitchen. Draco and Mariana jumped, startled. Draco reluctantly let go of her hand and stood up, heading towards the source of the sound. He instinctively pulled out his wand and entered the kitchen. When he reached the threshold, the face of Blaise popped out of nowhere.

"Bloody hell, Zabini!" Draco exclaimed. Pansy started to laugh behind Blaise.

"Getting cozy now, aren't we?" Blaise wiggled his eyebrows. Draco was about to protest. "I'm going to say hello to her if you don't mind," he added. Before Draco could stop him, Blaise headed out of the kitchen with Pansy. Draco followed them straight to the garden.

Mariana stood up from her seat as the three came out. Draco sighed.

"Maria, you remember Blaise," she nodded. "And this is Pansy."

"Hi it's nice to meet you," she said. Pansy tightened her into a hug. Shocked by the greeting, Mariana hesitantly hugged her back.

"It's so nice to finally meet you, Maria. Draco has told me so much about you!" Pansy exclaimed excitedly casting a glance at Draco. He was furrowing his brows in confusion. Mariana seemed confused as well.

"He has?" she pulled away, shifting her gaze to Draco. She gave him some sort of look before it was replaced with an indifferent mask. Draco could not quite get what she had felt a few seconds ago. "Well, he's full of surprises, isn't he?"

Pansy giggled. "Yes, he is," she agreed. "So, Blaise and I wanted some Firewhiskey. Do you have any?" Draco nodded.

"Let me show you where it is," Draco answered. Pansy followed right behind him. Mariana turned to Blaise who was casually observing the garden.

"It's good to see you again, Maria," Blaise said. "Even though the last time we met was when you were trying to get away from me," he turned to her. She looked at him.

"I had the right to. Weren't you the one who paralyzed me for a few moments of my life?" she asked, folding her arms across her chest. Blaise chuckled.

"You gave me no choice. But, let's put that time aside and start over. It's honestly good to see you again," he extended his hand towards her.

"Likewise," she muttered accepting his hand. Neither said anything but they both knew it was a truce. After that brief moment, Draco and Pansy came back from the kitchen.

"You have got to try Firewhiskey," Pansy said, handing a bottle to Mariana. She took it and observed it. Pansy raised hers up and they all followed suit, drinking in. Mariana barely coughed or choked like a normal first timer would. The three stared at her confused. She raised her eyebrows at them.

"Is there something wrong?" she asked.

"You didn't drink this before, did you?" Pansy said. She shook her head.

"No…" Mariana finally understood. "Oh, I did drink alcohol before, though, so it's almost the same," she added. "Well, where I was, people drink alcohol a lot so it's really not that big of a deal."

"Oh, then second round!"

Once Blaise and Pansy went to the guest room, Draco threw the bottles of Firewhiskey away and fixed up the kitchen. He looked around and realized that Mariana was not there. He shrugged it off but still felt uncertain. Maybe she tried to leave again…_No, it could not happen. She would not know where to go. _Sighing in partial relief, he finished fixing up the kitchen with a flick of his wand and headed upstairs.

His bedroom door was partly open when he got there. He looked inside to see Mariana staring out the window. She looked distant; he thought maybe she needed some time alone. But he started getting worried so he entered the bedroom and closed the door behind him. She was startled a bit and she turned away from him to wipe something off her face. Draco noticed everything.

"Are you alright?" he asked, standing beside her. She turned to face him and nodded but she was completely avoiding his eyes. "You don't seem alright," he added.

"I'm fine, just tired," she muttered. "Look, maybe I should sleep somewhere else. I don't even know where you would be sleeping and…"

"No, you sleep here, but first, tell me what's wrong," Draco interrupted. She took a deep breath but did not say anything. He knew she would not tell him anything like this. So, he tried another tactic. "Can I show you something?" she looked up and nodded. He nudged his head to the bed and told her to lie down. She raised an eyebrow. "No, just trust me on this," he said. She sighed and did as he said. He lied down beside her. "Look up," he added. She looked at him confused. "Maria, I know I'm a good sight to look at but please, just look up," he chuckled. She nudged him.

"At the ceiling? Fine, I don't really know what…" her voice trailed off when she finally looked up. Rain was pouring from the ceiling. "What…what is this?" it was like in 3D; she could not really touch the rain but it was pouring right at her nevertheless.

"Sometimes I put an enchantment on the ceiling. The weather changes depending on the mood of the person in the room. It's raining right now which means sadness…" he looked at her. She turned to meet his gaze.

"I never really had a lot of friends before and it just feels different," she mumbled. He smiled and took hold of her hand.

"Another question. Why did you try holding my hand in the garden?" she looked down at their intertwined hands.

"It was just an instinct…" she muttered. "I felt kind of bad for you and I just thought…" she ran a hand through her hair. "Don't worry, I won't do it again," she said, closing her eyes. "It seemed to have bothered you."

Draco watched as she slowly drifted off to sleep. "No, it didn't," he whispered and he too allowed slumber to take him.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

_The snake was slithering its way into the house. She saw it first when she was sitting outside, enjoying the sunlight. She ran inside the house and closed the door, turning to her parents in the living room. They did not seem to notice the panicked look she was wearing as she sped towards them and toppled onto the floor. It was then that everything seemed to fall apart, but not just mentally. The front door exploded and Nagini burst in with Voldemort beside her…_

Mariana jolted awake. Her breathing was uneven and her heart was thumping so quickly she could hear it in her ears. A tear rolled down her cheek as she sat up slowly to not wake Draco beside her. There was something very wrong here. She could feel it. The last time she had a nightmare like this was when she was younger. She wiped her eyes and got out of bed but the movement caused Draco to wake up.

"What…Maria, are you okay?" he asked groggily. Without turning, she muttered a 'yes' but it was not very convincing. Before she could stand up, Draco shot out his hand and grabbed her arm. "No, you're not. What's wrong?" he asked again. He scooted closer to her and touched her forehead with the back of his hand. She was burning hot. "Blimey, Maria, you have a fever!" he exclaimed quietly.

She stood up abruptly. "No, I'm fine, Draco. This used to happen all the time before. Just go back to sleep. A little cold water should do the trick…" she explained, her voice trailing off as she slowly made her way to the bathroom.

"What do you mean before?" he asked curiously. "Are you telling me you always had a fever when you were in America?"

"Can I explain this later? I have a migraine right now. I can't think straight," she mumbled. He sighed and nodded as she went into the bathroom and closed the door. She turned the faucet on and the sound of running water muffled her cries. She looked at herself in the mirror; her hair was sticking out in different directions and her eyes were puffy. She even looked a bit pale but she ignored that and washed her face. When the fever subsided, she went back into the bedroom.

Draco was fully awake now, sitting on the bed and holding the two tiny dragons in his hand. Mariana observed him from the exit of the bathroom. His hair was tousled and falling in his eyes. She never really noticed how strikingly handsome he was…until now. Her eyes reached his lips; they were turning into a smirk.

"Like what you see, Maria?" he asked. He looked up, a twinkle in his grey eyes. She folded her arms across her chest and walked to the other side of the bed.

"You wish," she replied, smirking back at him.

"How's the fever?" he asked, putting the dragons down and locking eyes with her.

"Fine," she answered simply and fell back on the bed, her head landing exactly on the pillow. "I just need to sleep. It'll be fine in the morning. I told you to go back to sleep. Why didn't you?"

"Because I was worried," he said. "I couldn't go back to sleep knowing you were in there with a fever and crying," she froze and her eyes widened. "Yes, crying. Don't try to deny it," he came closer to her. She tried to go back but she could not. She could not seem to look away either. "Why were you crying, Maria? Is it so hard to tell me? Why can't you trust me?"

"I…I do trust you…"

"No, you don't. You can't even tell me how you got the bloody fever. You need answers from me? Well, I need some from you too," he interrupted.

"You want answers from me?" she sat up, her head immediately throbbing from the pain but she ignored it. "Fine, I never opened up to anyone before…I didn't have the _courage _to trust anyone but myself. Is that satisfactory?"

"Not quite," he stated. "I need more," he said the word 'more' in a whisper that sent shivers down her spine. She noticed the proximity between them when his breath blew on her face. "When was the last time you had this fever?" he asked.

"When I was fourteen," she sighed. "I kept having it almost every night."

"So, what, you just got the fever like that?"

"No, it was because of the nightmares," she muttered. "I had nightmares, constant nightmares…things I've never seen before in my life…a snake, a man that looks like a snake…" her voice trailed off. "Then the fevers stopped and the nightmares weren't so constant anymore…I got them once in a while…when the tattoo burnt or…" she shook her head.

The headache was becoming worse. "You just had a nightmare here?" he asked. She nodded; her eyelids were closing. "You look pale," he whispered. She was falling back on the bed again and Draco's voice was becoming far away. But she could clearly hear him say one more thing. "You're wrong, by the way." She opened her eyes slowly. He was staring intently at her. "You did open up to someone before…in the past."

She managed to furrow her brow. "And who might that be?" her eyes closed again and she was going to sleep.

"Me," he answered.

The whole night was a blur to Draco. Once Mariana fell asleep, he tried to get some rest as well but he could not. If Mariana was telling the truth about the nightmares, which he did not doubt was a lie, then her memories had been slowly coming back in the past and it did not seem like a good thing if someone saw things in their minds which they claim to have never seen before in their lives. He knew she saw Voldemort; she was cursed by him even. He sighed; these memory charms are so stupid.

Draco turned to Mariana's sleeping form. She did not look peaceful; her lips were turned slightly downwards and she had turned about three times in her sleep. Her black hair was spread across the pillow and her hand was resting on her stomach. He gently reached out and caressed her cheek; he wanted to make her pain go away. It was bad enough she was forced to carry that awful mark on her arm, just like him. He could not blame her; Voldemort had put people under pressure into taking the mark. It was either get marked or die. But Mariana was a different case altogether. Her parents died and she had to suffer bearing the Dark mark.

Mariana snapped him out of his trance. She was shutting her eyes tightly and her head was shaking from side to side.

"No," she whispered. "I'm too young for this…" her voice trailed off and she was about to cry. "I don't want the mark! Kill me instead! Please!" she exclaimed. Draco immediately came closer to her and wrapped her in his arms. She was trying to push him away in her sleep.

"It's okay," Draco murmured his grip around her tight. "You're safe now. It's over," he added. She relaxed a bit as Draco placed a lingering kiss on her forehead. And everything stilled. She did not talk or move again. Draco thought for a moment and decided that if he could help her remember some things, he would take her to her parents' house.

"You're honestly taking her to her parents' house?" Blaise asked skeptically the next morning. Draco yawned and ran a hand through his hair. "I don't think that would help at all."

"I just want to see if she will remember something. She's had nightmares for a long time and I want them to stop. Falling asleep will be difficult for her. The memories are haunting her," he yawned again. He did not get enough sleep at all. "Now, please, stop asking me…I'm not in the mood."

Before Blaise could reply, Mariana came into the kitchen, hair slightly disheveled, looking as tired as Draco. She noticed the two in the kitchen and nodded before running a hand through her hair. Draco looked up at her but she looked anywhere but him. She sighed.

"Morning," she mumbled and fell on the seat beside Draco. "Gosh, I'm hungry. Breakfast, anyone?" she asked. With a flick of his wand, Blaise made food appear on the table.

"You guys both need to eat. You're a mess," Blaise explained and stood up. "I'm going to see Pansy." He left the kitchen without waiting for a response. Mariana cleared her throat and started eating. Draco observed her.

"How are you feeling this morning?" he asked. She paused and looked at him. They were both sitting down so now he was taller than her.

"I'm fine," she muttered and finally saw how tired he looked. "Look what I did," she searched his face. Draco frowned in confusion. "You didn't sleep well last night and it's my fault."

"Don't blame yourself, Maria…I'm alright…don't worry about it," he said. "Well, are you up for an outing today?" She raised her eyebrows simultaneously.

"And where are we going?"

"Just a few places…" he stated. "I want to show you around." She nodded and continued to eat. When they both finished, Draco cleaned up the place and stood up. "We'll leave in thirty minutes?"

"Okay, sure," she smiled and went to get ready.

Draco was feeling nervous. Not only was he doing something incredibly risky but he was also having thoughts that were there at the wrong time. As if on cue, the main object of his thoughts came downstairs. She was smirking like she knew what he was thinking about. He cleared his throat and extended his hand. Confused, she raised an eyebrow.

"Right, we're going to Apparate. It's a way to transport wizards and witches to places," Draco explained. She was still unsure but she took hold of his hand. Draco smirked and they Disapparated.

A few seconds later, they landed in Diagon alley. It was busy that day; wizards and witches were moving here and there, shoving each other to reach their destinations. Draco kept a hold on Mariana's hand as they made their way through the throng of people.

"Where are we?" she asked nervously.

"We're at Diagon alley. I want you to try something," Draco replied. She looked around the place but Draco was moving faster than she expected and she had to comply. But then something caught her eye in one of the shop windows. A broom. Curious, her legs stopped moving and she was staring at the broom like how the younger wizards were, ogling it like it was the most sacred thing in the world. Draco jerked to a halt and turned around to see what happened. He followed her gaze. "Interested in the brooms, aren't you?"

"Yeah. This is an absurd world," she tried to remember how brooms and witches were connected. "Is it used for flying?"

"Yes, it is. We use it to play a game called Quidditch," Draco said. "It's the best." Mariana smiled in admiration before allowing Draco to take her away. They kept walking until Draco stopped in front of the leaky cauldron. "Here we are."

"Is this like a bar?" she asked.

"You could say that," he stated and led her in. She looked around, fascinated. This was nothing like a normal bar. "We're meeting Blaise and Pansy for a drink."

"Sounds like fun," Mariana muttered as they headed towards the bar where Blaise and Pansy were already sitting, enjoying their drinks. Draco asked for two butterbeers and sat down beside Mariana. "Did you say butterbeer?" she asked, confused. Draco smirked. "Is it any good?"

"Trust me, it is," Pansy answered affirmatively. "You'll love it!" the drinks came and Mariana slowly tried it. As soon as it touched her tongue, she drank it down. "I told you!" Pansy exclaimed, giggling.

"This is nice!" Mariana placed the glass down. "I didn't know something alcoholic could taste this good," she added. Blaise and Draco nodded in response and finished their drinks as well.

They stayed for a full hour talking and drinking. It was after lunch when Draco realized they had to get a move on to Mariana's parents' house. He stood up.

"Well, we better go. I still have to show Mariana something else," Draco said. Blaise understood and nodded. Mariana stood up as well and they said their goodbyes.

"Where to now?" Mariana asked. Draco hesitated.

"We're going to a house," he answered. Mariana frowned. "Just wait till we get there," he added. He took hold of her hand once more and Disapparated.

They landed with a thud in front of a huge house. Draco looked around; it seemed like no life had come here for a long while. Mariana stared at the house, furrowing her brow in confusion before her eyes widened slightly.

"Where are we?" she asked, but her voice was beginning to quiver. "I don't think we should stay. Can we leave?" she began backing away but Draco kept a soft and firm grip on her hand.

"We need to go in," he said. "I think it will be better if we do," she shook her head. "If something bad happens, I'm here. I'll be next to you," he added.

"No, don't make me go in there. I have a bad feeling about this and it's hurting me, please," she whispered. He could see what she was hiding in her eyes this time. It was fear. "I think something happened in that house…something…"

"Terrible…you're right. I think so too. And we have to find out what happened. We'll go in together and I promise I won't leave your side," Draco said. Mariana looked at the ground. She couldn't. She just couldn't go in there. This was the house from her dreams. The exact same house where the snake came and… "Do you trust me?"


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

Mariana took a deep breath. Draco was definitely serious about this. He was going to drag her into the house if she said no. She gave him a pleading look but he did not mind and continued to wait for an answer. She turned to look at the house. Then, she let out a defeated sigh.

"Lead the way, Draco," she muttered. Draco nodded and pulled her along with him to the front door of the house. The garden was lifeless; all the flowers were either wilting or dead. It was sad. When they reached the front door, the words 'In loving memory of Andrew and Barbara Winston' appeared on the wall. Mariana blinked twice and looked away.

The front door was unlocked; nobody had bothered to check on the house or even nurture the poor flowers. Did anyone care? Or were they too afraid to come here? Draco stepped inside first. Mariana took each step with cautiousness. The first thing she saw was the living room and vivid images of her dream came back. She shuddered at the thought that the snake and the man would come in at any second. Draco looked around and stopped at a picture on a frame hanging on the wall. It was a moving picture; Mariana was about twelve years old there. Mariana joined him and stared at the picture.

"Where are we?" she whispered. Draco turned to look at her. She looked vulnerable. He was surprised she let her guard down for this long. He slowly reached out and held her hand tightly as they continued to look around the house.

After looking around a few rooms, they headed upstairs. The stairs were making noises as they ascended it and the hallway was a mess. Draco, however, remembered where her room was. _First door on your left, _Mrs. Winston had said. He opened her bedroom door and entered, followed by Mariana. She looked really weak at the moment. Draco walked to her bed and sat down. A lot of dust blew on his face and he began to cough.

"Bloody hell, when was the last time someone came in here?" he asked. _Oh right, four years ago. And the person was me. _Mariana apparently did not hear him. She was in her old bathroom. He was about to see what she was doing when something caught his eye on the nightstand. He turned around and saw a picture, a moving picture with two people doing funny faces and laughing before keeping a straight face and smiling normally. He smiled. He did not know she would keep that beside her bed. The two people were Draco and Mariana. Draco was around fourteen and she was thirteen. He knew that because he had the same picture. But his mother destroyed it when he was Obliviated.

He took the picture and put it in his coat before going to Mariana. She was staring at the sink and Draco could see some dried blood on it. He was confused. Why was there blood on the sink? Mariana sighed, her voice trembling as she pulled up her sleeve to reveal the shameful mark. Draco watched as she traced the outline of the mark with her index finger.

"What did you do?" Draco asked. Mariana shrugged.

"I don't know what I did. Apparently, I did it before I had the so-called memory loss or else I would have remembered how I got scars on my tattoo," she added. Draco frowned and took her arm. "They're scars…could be anything." He touched the mark and found the scars on the outline. Did she try to cut the mark off? He shuddered at the thought. "Draco, can we go now? Please?"

"You don't remember anything at all?" he asked hopefully.

"I had nightmares of this house and this room looks familiar," she mumbled. Draco pulled out the picture of both of them and showed it to her. She was startled that she looked older but then she noticed him in the picture and her eyes looked up at him. "Where did you find this?"

"On the nightstand…does this ring a bell?" he said. Every detail of that picture was engraved in his memory.

_It was during the summer of her punishment. Their mothers were in Diagon alley so Mariana came to the manor. Draco decided to take her flying. The look on her face when she saw the broom was unexpected. _

"_Bloody hell! You have the firebolt!" she exclaimed excitedly, running her hands across the broom. Draco nodded. _

"_You like Quidditch?" he asked. "How come I never knew about that?" _

"_You never asked," she smirked. _

"_I never expected," he protested. She chuckled. "Should we go for a ride?" he asked. _

"_I didn't bring my broom," she muttered. He raised his eyebrows in shock. "And yes, Draco Malfoy, I have a broom and I know how to use it," she nudged him._

"_We can use mine," he said nonchalantly but deep down he was nervous. He could imagine her wrapping her arms around him. Yes, he wanted to impress her. She raised an eyebrow. He remained cool and hopped onto his broom. "Come on," he said. She sighed and accepted the offer, climbing onto the broom behind him. Draco smirked. "Hold on tight," he added. _

_She did as he said and wrapped her arms around him, failing to notice the way Draco's breath hitched in his throat when she did so. And they were off at full speed. He took her really high into the air and they flew down so fast that they were shouting with joy. Instead of landing back at the manor, he took them to a wizard village a few miles from his place. He never showed anyone the village but she was an exception. And after their landing, someone took them a picture in front of the village's main attraction. It was one of the best days of his life. _

"Draco, maybe you are my long time friend," Mariana mumbled. She was on the verge of tears. "And I can't remember a single thing," he was really surprised by now. Mariana was about to cry. He approached her but she retreated. "Maybe I was so terrible they had to do this to me…maybe I did something really bad…" he came closer to her. "Don't Draco! Maybe I wasn't a good friend…" Groaning, he grabbed her arm and pulled her towards him. She gasped at the sudden intimacy but he did not do anything. He just stared.

"You were a really good friend, Maria…and you lost all your memory because it was a promise my mother had to make for your mother…and yes, my mother made you lose all your memory," he explained. "And no, she doesn't hate you. She loves you very much," he added. Mariana did not say anything. But she was weak inside, so weak. He wrapped his arms around her and tightened her into a hug. "Don't ever forget that," he murmured.

She sighed into his shirt and inhaled his musky scent. Mariana never thought him to be the comforting type. But yet, everyone has a side no one else knows. Her arms encircled his waist. Draco froze. She was hugging him back. Then, she pulled away.

"Thank you," she smiled. He smiled back and released her. "We should go," she added. He nodded and looked around the room one final time.

"Let's go," he stated and once again, they Disapparated.

Back at the manor, Draco and Mariana sat in the kitchen with Pansy and Blaise. It was quiet; nobody was talking.

Nobody intended to. Until Pansy lost her patience. She groaned and flailed her arms in the air.

"I can't take the silence anymore. Can somebody speak?" she complained. Blaise accioed a bottle of Firewhiskey and drank it down. "Blaise quit drinking!" she exclaimed. He shrugged and handed her some. She sighed and accepted it. Mariana and Draco exchanged amused looks.

"Why don't we play a game?" Mariana suggested. Draco paused.

"Truth or dare?" Blaise asked excitedly.

"Anything to pass the time," she replied. Pansy nodded in agreement and so did Draco. "Then truth or dare it is."

"Okay, I'll start," Blaise looked at Mariana. "Truth or dare?" he asked.

Mariana thought for a moment. "Dare," she replied.

"Alright…I dare you to…" someone was at the front door. "Answer the door," he added. Mariana chuckled.

"Fine, that is easy," she said and stood up. She headed out of the kitchen and down the hall to the front door. _Who would be visiting? _She wondered intriguingly. The front door had no hole to peek through to check who was there so Mariana had to settle for a surprise. And she got one.

She opened the front door wide and gasped. Standing there in a long black gown with white blonde hair pinned in a bun was Narcissa Malfoy. The woman smiled at her warmly and that was when Mariana did the unexpected. She fainted.

_She was moving. That was for sure. She knew she was going somewhere. But she could not stop. Mariana was certain that she was moving somewhere else without her own consent. Someone was taking her somewhere else. But where was she before? _

_Mariana knew she was unconscious or else she would have been able to move her hands and legs. At that point, it meant that she was slowly gaining consciousness and her senses were coming back to her. She groaned inwardly when the movement stopped and there were voices. However, she could not quite make out what the people were saying. _

_Gradually, she was waking up. But the voices did not stop. Apparently, they did not notice her yet. She cracked an eye open and sunlight instantly poured in. Where was she? She opened the other eye and saw three people standing on the other end of the room. A woman saw her first. She had white blonde hair and blue eyes. Mariana wondered if the woman knew her because she was looking at her with sadness. Then the woman took out something from her pocket without letting the other two see. She pulled out…a stick? Confused, she watched as the woman shot a spell at her without saying anything aloud and Mariana began drifting off to sleep again…_

"Wake up, Maria…hello?" it was an echo but she knew it was Draco's voice. Mariana felt dizzy. There was a slight pain on her lower back and a non-stop throbbing in her head. She opened her eyes to see the face of Draco staring down at her. Was she on the floor? "Oh, thank Merlin! Are you okay?" Mariana sat up and groaned.

"I'm fine…I just…had a vision or something of a woman…" her eyes looked around to find the same woman she was about to describe sitting on a chair with poise. Surprised, Mariana gasped quietly. "I'm not mentally retarded then," she whispered. Draco raised an eyebrow and looked at his mother. Mariana stood up. "I'm so sorry. I didn't know that was going to happen," she mumbled nervously.

"It's fine dear. Why don't you sit down?" Narcissa asked. Mariana nodded and sat down. "I'm sure you don't remember me…"

"I've seen you before," Mariana interrupted. "Four years ago. You were talking to Marcy and Lenny in my old house in America. You saw me awake and…"

"So you remember that very small detail," she said. "I'm Narcissa Malfoy," she added.

"Draco's mum, I guess?" Mariana asked. Draco chuckled and nodded. "It's nice to meet you."

"I thought you weren't coming until the end of this week," Draco muttered.

"Yes, well…there was a change of plans," Narcissa answered, shifting her gaze to Mariana. "And I wanted to find out what happened in America."

Mariana was surprised that Mrs. Malfoy knew about Draco's expedition to America but she did not show it.

Draco smirked. "It was a…fascinating trip," he said carefully. "Bringing her back here was the problem."

"Yes well you didn't approach me in the subject appropriately. You just grabbed me and said 'we're leaving'…how did you think I was going to react?" Mariana asked. Draco was about to protest but he did not know what to say.

"That's interesting but I'm sure you'd like to catch up when Mariana has a full memory," Narcissa explained. Mariana paused. "As Draco promised, you're going to remember everything you can't."

"And how exactly am I going to remember everything I can't?" Mariana asked.

"By magic of course," Narcissa replied. _I should expect that by now, _Mariana thought. She nodded but nervousness was slowly taking its toll. What was she going to remember? Are those nightmares a memory, something that happened in her life? Is the tattoo a part of this too? And that house…and Draco…her eyes automatically landed on Draco. He was staring right back at her. And he looked concerned. "Let me just get the potion, alright?"

Narcissa stood up and headed upstairs. Mariana became anxious. What if she did not want to remember? What if the memory loss was a good thing for her? She shook her head. Draco smiled and reached out to hold her hand.

"Everything will be fine," he said. Mariana pursed her lips and nodded. "I know you're nervous. You're letting your guard down a lot lately."

"Ever since you took me to that house I can't stop these feelings, Draco. And this is something big. I know some of the stuff I'm going to remember are not pleasant," she sighed. "So I am nervous."

"There are things you should remember as well. Like meeting me, Mariana. I want you to remember me," he gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. "I know you can do this," he added.

"Thanks for telling me that," she mumbled. "I just…I'm scared…"Narcissa came back downstairs, vial in hand. Draco left Mariana's hand and looked at his mother. Mariana chose to concentrate on the ground.

"Here it is," she handed Mariana the potion. "Drink this before you sleep and when you wake up you will remember everything," she explained. Mariana took it and gulped silently, realizing something. She was scared to remember.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

Mariana stared longingly at the vial in her hand. It was time to drink it but she could not bring herself to. She was scared. She sat on her bed; Mrs. Malfoy got her a room now. She sighed and brought the vial to her lips. _I can do this. Don't be a coward. _She drank it down and swallowed it forcefully. It did not taste so good. Tiredness started creeping up on her and she let out a big yawn before her body went to rest on its own by falling on the bed without bothering to cover.

It was midnight when the effects started kicking in. Mariana was asleep but her dreams were suddenly interrupted by flashing memories. And the big emptiness in her mind was starting to be filled. But it was not so pleasant.

"_Dad! This wand is perfect!" she exclaimed. "I found a perfect wand!" _

"_That's great, dear," Andrew Winston smiled. He turned to Barbara. "Should we get home?" _

"_Can we go to Draco's?" Mariana asked. "I want to show him my wand." _

"_Maybe tomorrow, alright? It's getting a bit late," Barbara said to her thirteen year old daughter. They held hands and Apparated to the Winston household. But something was not right. Mariana could feel a presence in the house. Her parents walked in front of her and they froze at the threshold of the living room. "Mariana," Barbara muttered. "Go upstairs." Confused, Mariana backed away to the staircase but she did not leave._

_She sat on the stairs and heard a voice, a creepy voice. "Ah, the Winston's. I'm so glad to see you again. I'm sure you've heard of my return."_

"_We deemed it to be false," Andrew said. "Well, welcome back." _

"_Ah, such a calm demeanor," he answered. "You know Andrew; your bravery is what I like most about you. And such skills are needed in my loyal group of followers."_

"_Like we said before, we're not interested in becoming death eaters," Barbara spoke up. Mariana froze. No way were her parents going to succumb to become slaves. There was just no way. She could feel the tension in the room. She knew he was getting angrier. She could practically hear his blood boil from all the way upstairs._

"_You want the same thing to happen again?" his features became dark. "Do you want to be punished again for refusing? I let you off last time but this time I wouldn't be so considerate." Her parents still stood strong. But they were writhing on the floor in the blink of an eye. Mariana gasped and she lost control of her body as it moved on its own accord towards her parents. How could she do this? She disobeyed her mother by coming down here. And she was a total coward. _

"_Mariana, go now," Barbara whispered. Mariana shook her head. Tears were threatening to pour but she did not let her guard down. She never did. The Dark Lord smirked and Mariana was dragged away from her parents by two death eaters. She did not see them in the room. _

"_Ah, Mariana Winston. The last time I saw you, you were nothing but a little bundle of joy. Look at you now, all grown up." She struggled against the two death eaters but they held her tightly. "Why don't you take a look at your parents? Do you see what happens when you try to disobey me?" He aimed for them again, shouting "crucio" that echoed through the living room. Her parents began screaming. _

"_Please stop hurting them!" Mariana screamed. Voldemort stopped and turned to her. "Please…I…" her voice trailed off. She was going to tell him to kill her instead. But she was scared of death. Voldemort started approaching her. _

"_Leave her alone!" Andrew exclaimed throatily. "She has nothing to do with this!" _

"_Why don't I give you something special to always remember me, Mariana?" Voldemort asked. "Why don't you become a death eater and give us the skills we need from your parents?" Mariana shook her head vigorously. _

"_Please don't…I don't want the dark mark!" she cried. Her mother began to shout but Voldemort ordered the two death eaters holding her to tend to her parents. Mariana took the opportunity to try and escape but it did not go so well. Voldemort shot a spell at her leg and she tumbled onto the floor. _

"_Why don't you behave before I do something Unforgivable," Voldemort said grabbing her left arm and pulling up her sleeve. She gasped and shouted out as his wand touched her bare skin. "This is a great opportunity…" she screamed as the burning sensation started creeping up her forearm. It was beginning to hurt and she felt all her energy draining out. _

_When Voldemort was done, he said things that barely registered in her mind and they departed mercilessly. _

_They left her on the floor with a broken leg, two unconscious parents and a mark that was making her lose blood fast. _

Draco could hear the screaming first. He thought he was dreaming but when he started to wake up, the screaming did not stop. He sat up and waited for another sound. The person screamed again. He got out of bed and sped out of his room. He had a feeling he knew exactly who was screaming.

_Mariana was shaking. She looked at her parents; what could she do? She had a broken leg and her arm was bleeding. But she had to try and save her parents. She just had to. She started to push herself with her right hand towards the fireplace and she grabbed some floo powder. She threw it into the fireplace and shouted "Malfoy manor!" _

_She could not get through because of the wards. She put her head in the fire and Narcissa saw her. _

"_Oh hello dear! Is everything okay?" Narcissa asked. Mariana winced as her left arm touched the floor. _

"_N-No…I need your help…please, come quick," she whimpered. A few moments later, Narcissa arrived and gasped. "Don't ask, just take my parents to St. Mungo's…do something please," she hid her left arm under her sleeve. The blood began seeping through her sleeve. Narcissa levitated her parents. _

"_What happened? What about you?" _

"_Don't bother about me…I want to save them first…go, please," Mariana was shaking. She lost a lot of blood. Narcissa nodded and left. Mariana was able to reach the staircase and push herself up with her right hand. She limped up the stairs and headed to her room. It took her almost ten minutes. _

_She entered her bathroom and washed her arm. There was a big cut around her scar. She must have scratched it when Voldemort was there. No wonder she lost a lot of blood. Mariana began feeling dizzy. She was about to grab the blood replenishing potion from the potions cabinet when her leg gave up and she fell to the floor. She was giving up. Tears began pouring. Maybe it was better if she died. She pushed herself to the room and sat down on the floor, facing the wall before beginning to cry. _

Draco could hear her crying. It was so sad to hear that. He stopped in front of the bedroom she was sleeping in and waited hesitantly. He had to enter and comfort her, right?

_Before she could realize what was happening, her bedroom door burst open and Draco was in front of her in a flash. His grey eyes were full of pain when he saw the sight of her. _

"_Mariana, come on, I'm taking you to the manor," she looked into his eyes. "Come on." She shook her head. "What happened?" _

"_T-The Dark Lord is back," she stammered. "He punished my parents…by punishing me…" she was on the verge of tears. Draco placed his hands on her shoulders, gently trying to push her up. "I can't get up. You're acting as if this is not some big issue but it is! It bloody is!" she yelled, tears pouring out faster. _

"_What did he do to you?" Draco barely whispered it. He looked like he was in pain. And she knew he at least deserved to know everything so she slowly pulled up the sleeve of her left arm. Draco gasped. Just as expected. _

Draco chose to enter and he did the right thing to do so. She was weeping into her pillow. The covers were messed up and she kept tossing and turning, trying to cling onto something that was not really there. He cast a silencing charm on the door and locked it. He rushed to her and sat on the bed beside her. She was really weeping. He _never _saw her like this before. He had to do something. He ran his hand through her black hair softly.

"It's alright…don't cry," Draco whispered. She turned in her sleep onto her back but she did not stop crying. She was trying to push someone away. Draco got onto the bed and wrapped his arms around her protectively. She still tried pushing away like she did when she had the nightmare. But he refused to let her go. "You're safe now…no one will hurt you anymore," he whispered. She stopped shaking. Draco thought for a moment that she fell back into a deep sleep so he tried to put her back down but her eyes were wide open. And she was staring at him with tear-stained eyes. He froze.

"Draco…" her voice trailed off. He forgot that Mariana remembered him now. He was getting nervous all over again.

"I know…this looks unexpected…you were crying and screaming," he muttered. She looked down and noticed his arms still wrapped around her. She blushed. "I can't see you like this…"

She smiled. Draco was confused that she smiled after all the crying and screaming. But what she did next caught him completely off guard. She tightened him into a hug.

"I can't believe I couldn't remember you," she mumbled into the crook of his neck. Her voice vibrated on his skin. He hugged her back tightly then they both pulled away.

He smirked. "Mariana, you've changed these few years," he whispered.

She chuckled softly and gave her automatic response. "Not really," she said. "I should have realized your changes earlier. You're not that pale and skinny fourteen year old I used to know."

"I'm eighteen now, dear. A lot of things have changed. And so have you," he replied. "And if you ever forget me again…"

"Don't threaten me, Draco. I'm not scared of you," she said then paused. She was suddenly brought back to reality. Trying to forget the past and move on seemed so difficult now. She looked down and a tear rolled down her cheek. "My parents are dead," she whispered, raising her hand to wipe the tear. Draco beat her to it. She shivered a bit from the contact.

"Yes, it's been four years. You can visit their graves and find closure. Whatever you need, Maria," he smiled. "As long as you get to continue with your life," he added. Her eyes went down to the mark on her arm. "That's the past now," Draco said, pulling up his sleeve to show her his. "This is all in the past."

Mariana nodded and looked at the time. "Better we go back to sleep, right?" she asked. She was afraid to go back to sleep but she was terribly exhausted. "I'll be fine. I'm sorry I woke you up…" she added.

"Don't worry…just get some rest," he stood up but paused. "Can I see Ember?" he asked. She raised an eyebrow but handed it over to him. He pulled out something from his pocket and handed it to her. It was his green dragon. "I want you to sleep with mine tonight. And I will sleep with yours. So we'll know that we are both there for each other," he smiled.

"Thank you, Draco," she whispered as he headed towards the door. "Goodnight," she added.

"Goodnight."

Going back to sleep was easier now but a dreamless sleep was impossible. Her mind was inundated with memories. Some of the memories were pleasant but the one with Voldemort did not stop repeating itself. She remembered Draco and how her feelings developed for him. Being the coward she was, she never even tried to admit her feelings to him.

Even now when there was nothing to stop her.

Vivid images of her parents flashed in her mind. They were dead on their beds, eyes closed, marks evidence of being tortured. Mariana could even remember how the place smelt when she was allowed to see them. It smelt disgusting. The overwhelming smell was blood.

_Narcissa was standing, weeping and Draco stayed beside Mariana. But Mariana did not cry. No, she stood wearing an indifferent mask to hide her true feelings. She stared at her parents. They were dead. What will happen now? _

_When the place was empty, though, Mariana knelt on the floor beside their beds and wept hysterically. She held their cold hands and wished that this never happened. But she could not go back in time unless she had a time turner which was…impossible. What could she have done anyway? _

_She woke up the next morning on the floor of the room her parents were in. Narcissa was sitting there looking calm but Mariana did not know what she was up to. _

"_What will happen now?" Mariana sniffed, standing up and straightening her back. "What will happen to me?" Narcissa was secretly in pain. She would have done anything to help Mariana. She would have taken her as her own, taken care of her. But Barbara Winston had crazy plans for her daughter and it was the most ridiculous thing Narcissa had ever heard. _

_When Narcissa did not answer, Mariana approached her, concerned but in the blink of an eye she was back on the floor, losing consciousness. She faintly heard the word, 'Obliviate.'_

Mariana sat up straight; how the bloody hell did this potion expect her to sleep? The worst memories were behaving like nightmares but usually nightmares were not true. Not for Mariana though. Everything had happened before.

She thought she went back to sleep. She could not be sure. And as her eyes opened partly, she could see the hallway leading to Draco's room. Mariana thought she was in a blissful dream this time. She was sure it was not a memory. However, it was nice feeling secure when she knew he was close to her. She opened the bedroom door and saw him awake on his bed. She continued going to him until she was lying down beside him, faces inches apart.

This was one of the most wonderful dreams she ever had.


End file.
